Zhang Changping

Zhang Changping (born in April 1954, Chinese: 张昌平), a native of Xiaogan, Hubei Province, is a Chinese politician. He formerly held the position of chairman of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.^[1]

Zhang Changping commenced his career in April 1970 and became a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in April 1975. He obtained his degree in Steelmaking Specialization from the Metallurgy Department at Wuhan Iron and Steel College (now Wuhan University of Science and Technology) and also a master's degree in engineering from Hunan University.^[2][3]

Zhang Changping commenced his career at the Construction Department of Xiangtan Iron and Steel Plant in Hunan Province. He was employed as a laborer in the facility from April 1970 to September 1973. In September 1973, he matriculated at Wuhan Iron and Steel College. Upon graduating in October 1976, he rejoined Xiangtan Iron and Steel Plant, assuming the roles of Assistant Engineer at the Machinery Repair Plant, Member of the Party Committee, Secretary of the Youth League Committee, and Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Xiangtan Iron and Steel Plant. During this time, he participated in the Hunan Provincial Party School Cadre Training Program (1978–1979) and studied at the Department of Enterprise Management at the Hunan Provincial Institute of Economic Management (1980–1983).^[2]

In June 1984, Zhang was appointed as Director of the Office of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League. Beginning in December 1984, he held the positions of Deputy Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League and Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group, while also serving as a member of the 12th Central Committee of the Communist Youth League. Since 1987, he has simultaneously held the position of chairman of the Hunan Provincial Youth Federation. He attended the Japanese Language Department at Beijing Foreign Studies University from 1988 to 1989 and thereafter engaged in a year-long research fellowship at the University of Tokyo in Japan.^[4]

In February 1991, Zhang Changping was designated as a member of the Party Committee of Loudi Prefecture, Hunan Province, and as Secretary of the Lengshuijiang City CCP Committee. In June 1992, he was appointed as deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Commission of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. Beginning in July 1993, he simultaneously held the positions of Deputy Director of the Provincial Investment Promotion Bureau and Acting Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and was designated as Secretary of the Party Leadership Group in November 1994. During this era, he obtained a Master of Engineering degree in industrial foreign trade from the International Business School of Hunan University.^[5]

In January 1995, Zhang Changping was designated as Deputy Secretary of the Changde Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Deputy Mayor of the Changde Municipal Government, and Acting Mayor of Changde. In March 1995, he was chosen Mayor of Changde and became a member of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. He participated in the Central Party School's training program for middle-aged and young cadres from 1997 to 1998. In February 1998, he was designated Secretary of the Yueyang Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.^[6]

In January 2000, Zhang Changping was appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Xiamen Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party of Fujian Province, later assuming the roles of Deputy Mayor of Xiamen. He served as Acting Mayor of Xiamen and Secretary of the Party Leadership Group from July 2002, and was officially appointed mayor in December 2002, holding the position until November 2006.^[7]

In November 2006, Zhang ascended to the Standing Committee of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, assuming the positions of Executive Vice Governor of the Provincial Government and Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Provincial Government, maintaining these responsibilities until November 2011.^[1] He then assumed the role of a member of the Standing Committee of the Fujian Provincial CCP Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. In January 2013, he held the position of Chairman of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Secretary of the Party Leadership Group, while also serving as a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.^[8] From July 2013 until January 2018, he held the positions of Chairman of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Secretary of the Party Leadership Group exclusively.^[9]

Zhang Changping served as a delegate to the 17th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and was a member of the 9th National People's Congress representing Hunan Province, as well as the 10th and 11th National People's Congress representing Fujian Province. He was a member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.^[8]