China ushers in new cabinet leadership

Vice-premiers: Responsible and understanding     

Zhang Gaoli is a member of the Political Bureau of the 17th CPC Central Committee and a member of the Standing Committee of the  Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee. Liu Yandong and Wang Yang are both members of the Political Bureau of the 17th and 18th CPC Central Committees, while Ma Kai is a member of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee.    

All four vice-premiers have ordinary work experience. Zhang was once a crane operator and loader at an oil company in Guangdong's city of Maoming. Liu worked in production at the Kaiping Chemical Plant in the city of Tangshan in Hebei province, as well as at the Beijing Chemical Trial Plant, in the 1970s.    

Since his father died when he was still young, Wang Yang started working at a food factory at an early age to help out his family. Ma Kai worked as a middle school teacher for five years.    

All four vice-premiers hold bachelor's degrees or greater. Zhang graduated from the Xiamen University, while Liu studied in the Department of Chemistry in the Tsinghua University before she earned both a master's degree and a doctorate degree in law in the 1990s from the Department of Sociology of the Renmin University and the College of Administration at the Jilin University, respectively.    

Wang Yang holds a master's degree in engineering, while Ma Kai was admitted to the Department of Political Economics of the Renmin University in 1979. He was one of the first master economists to emerge after the Cultural Revolution.    

Zhou Tianyong, a professor from the Party School of CPC Central Committee, said the members of this government are facing greater reform-related tasks than those faced by their predecessors, as a series of new domestic and international situations will require the government to continue to improve its ability to govern and create more scientific policies.    

Liu Yandong visits a kindergarten in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, in June 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

Liu Yandong is the only female among the four vice-premiers, as well as the fourth female vice-premier in the history of the People's Republic of China after former vice-premier Wu Yi. Liu is also the first woman to enter the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee twice, as well as the first female head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and the first chairwoman of the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF).    

When in charge of the ACYF, Liu initiated Project Hope, which has helped to build elementary schools in less-developed areas and rural areas across the country. She also participated in the drafting of the first law designed to protect minors.

Liu associated with a lot of friends in different sectors when she led the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee. Some older non-Communist members can remember her name, even when they are too old to recognize their own family members. Liu went to Tibet nine times, visiting the Sakya Monastery at an altitude of 4,310 meters and exchanging ideas with monks.

Liu visited Hong Kong for five days in 2004, taking part in 29 events and putting forward the idea that "patriotism is the root, unity is the key, development is the priority and self-improvement is the essentials," which is still fresh in the memory of Hong Kong people.

Liu was in charge of education, science, culture, sports and other sectors when she was State Councilor from 2008 to 2013. She presided over the draft of a guideline for a mid- and long-term education reform and development plan, promoted the implementation of a nutrition improvement plan for students in rural areas and presided over the creation of suggestions for the deepened reform of the scientific and technological system and accelerating the construction of the state innovation system.

She organized the implementation of a number of important scientific and technological projects in the fields of electronics and information, energy and environmental protection, bio-pharmaceutical science and advanced manufacturing. Liu was also chairwoman of the Chinese side in China-Russia, China-US, China-UK and China-European high-level cultural exchange mechanisms and chairwoman of the Confucius Institute Headquarters.

As the youngest vice-premier, the 58-year-old Wang Yang is the only vice-premier born after the founding of the New China. Wang became vice-governor of Anhui province at 38, the youngest vice-governor in the country at that time. In 1999, Wang served as deputy head of the National Development and Planning Commission and later deputy secretary-general of the State Council. In 2005, Wang became secretary of the CPC Chongqing municipal Commitee.

When joining a delegation from Anhui province in deliberating the government work report delivered to the National People's Congress this year, Wang said that among the 11 aspects mentioned in the report, the key would be to remove institutional obstacles that hinder development.

"If the reforms 30 years ago solved the issue of ideology, now we have come to the issue of interests. Reform is like cutting one's own flesh, so we need great determination," said Wang.

In 2007, Wang was assigned as secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee. At the first plenary meeting of the committee, Wang said that as a pioneer of reform, Guangdong must continue to emancipate thoughts and adhere to the policy of reform and opening up, as well as find a new way using the Scientific Outlook on Development.

Wang believes that officials should not forget the basic requirements of mankind and not lose the heart of a public servant. When leaving Guangdong last December, Wang encouraged his colleagues by saying that reform always has a lot of challenges, but that related responsibilities must be carried for the country's interest.

Over the last 30 years, Ma Kai participated in macro-sized decision-making concerning China's economic development and institutional reform.

During his service, Ma was always whole-heartedly devoted to his duties and dedicated himself in an utmost fashion. "I hope the difficult issues can be solved despite more grey hairs on my head, " he wrote in a poem.

Viewed as a scholar-official, Ma has published a number of academic monographs. In the 1980s and 1990s, Ma participated in a series of important reforms for pricing systems.

Shortly after taking charge of the National Development and Reform Commission in 2003, Ma was challenged by signs of overheating in the Chinese economy. Based on the general deployment of the central government, the commision, in coordination with other departments, issued a package of policies, helping the Chinese economy enjoy a fast and steady growth in five years in a row.

Ma also organized the drafting of the 11th Five-Year Program (2006-2010) and took the opportunity to make 97 specialized plans in coordination with other departments, filling in the blanks in many fields.

In 2008, Ma became State Councilor and secretary-general of the State Council, leading the General Office of the State Council in implementing policies made by the central authorities.

In the first five months of 2012, investment in railway construction dropped by more than 40 percent. Leading relevant departments, Ma went to construction sites to find problems and solutions. Through joint efforts, investment in railway construction increased again and allowed railway construction to maintain a stable momentum.

Liu Yandong has a happy family. She has an open-minded husband and a daughter. Liu often says that in daily life one should remember one's gender, while in work one should forget it.

Wang Yang likes sports. He likes playing tennis and walking in his spare time, but he uses most of his time for reading. Wang is extremely filial to his mother, as she raised her three children through her own effort.

Wang and his wife have a daughter.

Ma is a poet whose works have been widely applauded. Ma's wife has retired for years and they have a daughter.