Wang Lequan

Wang Lequan
Wang Lequan
Traditional Chinese	王樂泉
Simplified Chinese	王乐泉
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Wáng Lèquán

**Wang Lequan**
王乐泉
Wang Lequan; 王乐泉
Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang
	In office; 24 September 1994 – 24 April 2010
Preceded by	Song Hanliang
Succeeded by	Zhang Chunxian
Personal details
Born	21 December 1944 (age 79); Showkwang, Shantung, China
Political party	Chinese Communist Party (1966–2012)
Signature

Wang Lequan (born 21 December 1944) is a Chinese retired politician, most notable for being the Communist Party Secretary in Xinjiang, the autonomous region's top political office, between 1994 and 2010. From 2002 to 2012, Wang was also a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. From 2010 to 2012 he was a Deputy Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission. He retired from active politics in 2012, and served President of the China Law Society from November 2013 to March 2019.

Life and career

Wang Lequan was born in Shouguang, Shandong in December 1944. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1966. He was a post-graduate at the Central Party School of the CCP Central Committee. Wang ran the Communist Youth League of China in Shandong Province in the mid-1980s and became vice governor of Shandong in 1989.^[1]

Xinjiang

Wang was the Secretary of the CCP Xinjiang Committee from 1994 until 2010. As Secretary, he was responsible for implementing modernization programs in Xinjiang. He encouraged industrialization, development of commerce, and investments in roads and railways. He furthered the development of the oil and gas fields in the region, link-up of pipelines from Kazakhstan to eastern China. On the other hand, he constrained local culture and religion, substituted Mandarin for Uyghur language in primary schools; restricted or banned, among government workers, the wearing of beards and headscarves, fasting and praying while on the job.^[1]^[2]

Wang was a member of the 16th and the 17th Politburos of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. He is known for his hardline approach to ethnic minorities. He acquired the nickname "the stability secretary" for his ability to enter into a chaotic situation and bring it to order.^[1]

Wang was widely criticized by Uyghurs and foreign scholars of Xinjiang for his hard-line policies. After the 2009 July riots in Ürümqi, Han also became frustrated with his leadership because of the slow progress in restoring social order. As a result, many individuals began to call for his resignation in public demonstrations.^[3]

Post-Xinjiang career

He was succeeded by Zhang Chunxian as Xinjiang Party Secretary in April 2010, and transferred to work on the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission as a Deputy Secretary under Zhou Yongkang.^[4] Wang remained in the Political and Legal Affairs Committee until the 18th Party Congress when he retired from active politics. In November 2013 Wang became the president of the China Law Society. He retired from the China Law Society in March 2019.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Wines, Michael (10 July 2009). "A Strongman Is China's Rock in Ethnic Strife". The New York Times.
^ Swain, Jon (12 July 2009). "Security chiefs failed to spot signs calling for Uighur revolt". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 12 July 2009.^{[dead link]}
^ Wong, Edward; Yang, Xiyun (3 September 2009). "New Protests Reported in Restive Chinese Region". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
^ McDonald, Scott (21 April 2010). "China replaces party boss in region hit by unrest". Retrieved 24 April 2010.^{[dead link]}

External links

(in Chinese) Biography of Wang Lequan, People's Daily Online.

Party political offices
Preceded by Song Hanliang	Communist Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region 1994–2010	Succeeded by Zhang Chunxian

[nyt090710-1] Wines, Michael (10 July 2009). "A Strongman Is China's Rock in Ethnic Strife". The New York Times.

[2] Swain, Jon (12 July 2009). "Security chiefs failed to spot signs calling for Uighur revolt". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 12 July 2009.^{[dead link]}

[3] Wong, Edward; Yang, Xiyun (3 September 2009). "New Protests Reported in Restive Chinese Region". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 September 2009.

[ap-4] McDonald, Scott (21 April 2010). "China replaces party boss in region hit by unrest". Retrieved 24 April 2010.^{[dead link]}

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v t e 17th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party (2007–2012)
Standing Committee	Hu Jintao (General Secretary) Wu Bangguo Wen Jiabao Jia Qinglin Li Changchun Xi Jinping Li Keqiang He Guoqiang Zhou Yongkang
Other members in surname stroke order	Wang Gang Wang Lequan Wang Zhaoguo Wang Qishan Hui Liangyu Liu Qi Liu Yunshan Liu Yandong ♀ Li Yuanchao Wang Yang Zhang Gaoli Zhang Dejiang Yu Zhengsheng Xu Caihou Guo Boxiong Bo Xilai (expelled 2012)
7th→8th→9th→10th→11th→12th→13th→14th→15th→16th→17th→18th→19th→20th

v t e 16th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party (2002–2007)
Standing Committee	Hu Jintao (General Secretary) Wu Bangguo Wen Jiabao Jia Qinglin Zeng Qinghong Huang Ju (died 2007) Wu Guanzheng Li Changchun Luo Gan
Other members in surname stroke order	Wang Lequan Wang Zhaoguo Hui Liangyu Liu Qi Liu Yunshan Wu Yi Zhang Lichang Zhang Dejiang Chen Liangyu (expelled 2006) Zhou Yongkang Yu Zhengsheng He Guoqiang Guo Boxiong Cao Gangchuan Zeng Peiyan
Alternate member	Wang Gang
7th→8th→9th→10th→11th→12th→13th→14th→15th→16th→17th→18th→19th→20th

v t e Political leaders of Xinjiang since 1949
Party Committee Secretaries	Wang Zhen Wang Enmao Long Shujin Saifuddin Azizi Wang Feng Wang Enmao Song Hanliang Wang Lequan Zhang Chunxian Chen Quanguo Ma Xingrui
Congress Chairpersons	Tömür Dawamat Hamudun Niyaz Ablet Abdureshit Abdurehim Amet Arken Imirbaki Shohrat Zakir Neyim Yasin Shewket Imin Zumret Obul ♀
Government Chairmen	Saifuddin Azizi Long Shujin Saifuddin Azizi Wang Feng Ismail Amat Tömür Dawamat Ablet Abdureshit Ismail Tiliwaldi Nur Bekri Shohrat Zakir Erkin Tuniyaz
Conference Chairmen	Saifuddin Azizi Burhan Shahidi Wang Enmao Wang Feng Zhang Shigong Ismail Yasinov Ba Dai Janabil Ashat Kerimbay Nurlan Abilmazhinuly