Wu Xueqian (December 19, 1921 – April 4, 2008) was a Chinese politician and diplomat who served as the

Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

and Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

Wu was born in Shanghai in 1921. He joined the

Communist Party of China The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...

in 1939. In his youth he was engaged in Communist underground work in Shanghai, serving for a period of time as deputy secretary and acting secretary of the Shanghai Students' Committee of the Communist Party. In June 1949, he was designated representative of China National Federation of Democratic Youth to the World Federation of Democratic Youth in Prague. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as Deputy Director General and Director General (1949–1958) of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Youth League (renamed as the Communist Youth League later), Director General (1958–1978) and Vice Minister (1978–1982) of the International Liaison Department of CCCPC, First Vice-Foreign Minister (1982.4–1982.11). Wu was the Foreign Minister of China from 1982 to 1988. He was the member of the 13th CPC Politburo from 1987 to 1992. Wu died of an illness on April 4, 2008. Former Chinese vice-premier Wu Xueqian dies at 87
''

China Daily ''China Daily'' () is an English-language daily newspaper owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. Overview ''China Daily'' has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in China. T ...

'', April 4, 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wu, Xueqian 1921 births 2008 deaths Foreign Ministers of the People's Republic of China People's Republic of China politicians from Shanghai Jinan University alumni 20th-century Chinese politicians Members of the 13th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party State councillors of China Members of the 12th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party Vice Chairpersons of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Burials at Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery