Zhang Dejiang

Zhang Dejiang was born in 1946 in Kuandian, Liaoning Province. He studied Korean and economics at Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang. After returning to China, he held successive positions in Jilin Province before serving as Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province (1998–2002) and Party Secretary of Guangdong Province (2002–2007). At the 17th Party Congress in 2007, he was elected to the Politburo Standing Committee. From 2008 he served as Executive Vice Premier of the State Council, with responsibility for agriculture, industrial safety, and transportation.

In March 2013, Zhang was appointed Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress, a position he held until 2018. In that capacity, he presided over the NPCSC's decision of 31 August 2014 on universal suffrage for Hong Kong's Chief Executive election, which required candidates to secure the endorsement of more than half of the nominating committee's members. The decision preceded the Umbrella Movement occupation. Zhang retired from the Politburo Standing Committee following the 19th Party Congress in 2017.