Zhang Zuoji

Born in Bayan County, Heilongjiang, Zhang joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in June 1972. He graduated from the department of foreign languages of Heilongjiang University, majoring in the Russian language. From 1968 to 1977, he was a high school teacher in the national 123 factory, an officer of its propaganda department and the vice president of the CPC party school there. Later, he served in the Ministry of the 5th Mechanical Industry, the Ministry of Weaponry Industry, and the Ministry of Labor and Personnel (Ministry of Labor). In August 1991, he was appointed vice mayor of Xi'an, in Shaanxi Province. In February 1993, he became the deputy Minister of Labor. From November 1994 to 1998, he served as vice secretary-general of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. He was elected to be a member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China during the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in September 1997. From March 1998 to March 2003, he served as Minister of Labor and Social Security.[2] In March 2003, he was appointed vice secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang committee, and was elected as vice governor and acting governor of Heilongjiang in April of that year. He was confirmed as governor later and served in this post until December 2007. In March 2008, Zhang became the director of the economic committee of the 11th CPPCC.

Zhang was a member of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and is a current member of the 17th Central Committee. He is a standing committee member of the 11th CPPCC.