Ethnic Han, native of Nantong, Jiangsu Province, born in November 1945. Joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in July 1964 and started working in March 1970. Graduated from the School of Administration of Jilin University, majoring in political science. With an on-the-job postgraduate education, she holds a doctorate in law.

Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee; state councilor; member of the leading Party members' group of the State Council; vice-chairwoman of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and vice secretary of its leading Party members' group.

1964-1970: Student and political instructor of the Department of Engineering Chemistry of Qinghua University

1970-1972: Worker, technician and workshop head of Kaiping Chemical Plant in Tangshan, Hebei Province

1972-1978: Worker of Beijing Chemical Experiment Plant; staff member of the publicity section of its CPC committee; secretary of workshop Party branch committee; member of the standing committee of the plant's CPC committee; deputy chief and chief of its political department

1978-1980: Deputy secretary of the CPC committee of Beijing Chemical Experiment Plant

1980-1981: Cadre of the Organization Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee

1981-1982: Deputy secretary of the CPC Chaoyang District Committee of Beijing

1982-1991: Member and executive member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China; vice-chairwoman and chairwoman of All-China Youth Federation

1991-1995: Deputy secretary-general of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee; chairwoman of the All-China Youth Federation; deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee (1990-1994: on-the-job education majoring in theories and methodology of sociology at the Sociology Department of Renmin University of China, where she received her master's degree)

1995-1998: Deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee; secretary of the leading Party members' group of the Central Socialist Academy

1998-2001: Deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee (ministerial level); secretary of the leading Party members' group of the Central Socialist Academy (1994-1998: on-the-job education majoring in theories of political science at the School of Administration of Jilin University, where she received her doctoral degree)

2001-2002: Deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee (ministerial level), secretary of the leading Party members' group of the Central Socialist Academy; vice president of Soong Ching Ling Foundation

2002-2003: Head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee; secretary of the leading Party members' group of the Central Socialist Academy; vice president of Soong Ching Ling Foundation

2003-2005: Vice-chairwoman of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and member of its leading Party members' group; head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee; vice president of Soong Ching Ling Foundation

2005-2007: Vice-chairwoman of the 10th CPPCC National Committee and member of its leading Party members' group; head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee

2007-2008: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee; vice-chairwoman of the 10th CPPCC National Committee and member of its leading Party members' group

2008-: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee; state councilor; member of the leading Party members' group of the State Council; vice-chairwoman of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and vice secretary of its leading Party members' group.

Alternate member of the 15th CPC Central Committee; member of the 16th and 17th CPC Central Committees; and member of the Political Bureau of the 17th CPC Central Committee. Member of the Standing Committee of the 7th National People's Congress. Member of the Standing Committees of the 6th, 8th and 9th CPPCC National Committees, and vice-chairwoman of the 10th CPPCC National Committee.