China's former top legislator Wu Bangguo dies at 84

Wu Bangguo, former chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, died of illness at the age of 84 in Beijing at 4:36 a.m. on Tuesday, an official statement said.

Wu had served as a member of the Political Bureau and a member of the Secretariat of the 14th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, a member of the Political Bureau of the 15th CPC Central Committee, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 16th and 17th central committees of the CPC, vice premier of the State Council, and chairman of the Standing Committee of the 10th and 11th NPCs.

An obituary notice jointly issued by the CPC Central Committee, the NPC Standing Committee, the State Council and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference extolled Wu as an excellent Party member, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier and an outstanding proletarian revolutionary, statesman and leader of the Party and the state.

Wu was born in July 1941 and hailed from Feidong in east China's Anhui Province. He studied at Tsinghua University from 1960 to 1967 and joined the CPC in April 1964. Starting in 1967, he worked at an electron tube factory in Shanghai and held management positions at companies that specialized in electronic components and electronic vacuum devices. He also served as deputy Party secretary of Shanghai's department for instrument and telecommunications industries.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), he held fast to Party principles, sought truth from facts and engaged in resistance with concrete actions.

From March 1983 to March 1991, Wu initially served as a member of the standing committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee while concurrently overseeing science and technology work. He later became deputy secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

From March 1991 to September 1994, Wu served as secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee. He was elected as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the first plenary session of the 14th CPC Central Committee in October 1992.

During this period, Wu actively promoted and put into action Deng Xiaoping's ideas on reform and opening up and resolutely implemented the strategically important decision made by the CPC Central Committee to develop and open up Pudong, ushering in a new era for Shanghai in all-around opening up, both domestically and internationally.

In September 1994, Wu became a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee at the fourth plenary session of the 14th CPC Central Committee. In March 1995, he was appointed vice premier of the State Council. During this tenure, he also held several key positions, including vice director of the State Council Three Gorges Project Construction Committee, secretary of the working committee for large enterprises directly under the central government, and secretary of the working committee for enterprises under the central government.

During this period, Wu was committed to reforms aimed at developing the socialist market economy and made significant contributions to deepening the reform of state-owned enterprises. He also vigorously advanced the development of the Three Gorges project and the construction of railways, highways, ports, postal and telecommunication infrastructure, effectively enhancing the momentum of China's economic growth.

Wu was elected a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the first plenary session of the 16th CPC Central Committee in November 2002.

In March 2003, he was elected chairman of the NPC Standing Committee at the first session of the 10th NPC and, in the same month, appointed secretary of the leading Party members group of the NPC Standing Committee.

Wu was re-elected a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the first plenary session of the 17th CPC Central Committee in October 2007.

In March 2008, he was re-elected chairman of the NPC Standing Committee at the first session of the 11th NPC and, in the same month, appointed secretary of the leading Party members group of the NPC Standing Committee.

Wu conscientiously implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, enriched and developed the theories and practices of the people's congress system, and made significant contributions to the development of socialist democracy and improvement of the socialist legal system, the obituary said.

Wu was an important leader in advancing socialist democracy and the rule of law with Chinese characteristics, according to the obituary.

From March 2013, he no longer served as chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

After retiring from the leadership post, Wu firmly upheld the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and continued to show great care for the cause of the Party and state, said the obituary.

Wu's death is a great loss to the Party and the country, according to the obituary.

"Eternal glory to Comrade Wu Bangguo!" the obituary concluded.