Zhang Dejiang, of the Han ethnic group, was born in November 1946. A native of Tai'an, Liaoning Province, with a university education background, Zhang began his career in November 1968 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in January 1971.
Zhang?s experience of study and work is as follows:
May 1972: studying Korean language in Yanbian University; April 1976: working as a standing committee member of the CPC Committee of Yanbian University, deputy director of the university's Revolutionary Committee and vice-president of the university; August 1978: student of the Department of Economics of Kim Il Sung University, Democratic People's Republic of Korea; August 1980: a standing committee member of the CPC Committee of Yanbian University and vice-president of the university; August 1983: deputy secretary of the CPC Yanji City Committee and a standing committee member of the CPC Committee of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province; April 1985: deputy secretary of the CPC Committee of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province; August 1986: vice-minister of civil affairs and deputy secretary of the ministry's CPC leading group; October 1990: deputy secretary of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and concurrently secretary of the CPC Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefectural Committee; June 1995: secretary of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee; January 1998: secretary of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and concurrently chairman of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial People's Congress, and a member of the 15th CPC Central committee; September 1998: a member of the standing committee and secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee.
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