Zeng Qinghong

Who is Zeng Qinghong?

Zeng Qinghong is a retired Chinese politician. He was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, China's highest leadership council, and top-ranked member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee during between 2002 and 2007. He also served as the Vice-President of the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2008.

During the 1990s, Zeng was a close ally of then-general secretary Jiang Zemin, and was instrumental in consolidating Jiang's power. For years, Zeng was the primary force behind the party's organization and personnel. During his term in the PSC, although he was formally ranked fifth, Zeng was seen as a 'power broker' in the party, believed to possess power that was second only to paramount leader Hu Jintao. Initially seen as a rival to general secretary Hu Jintao, Zeng was obliged to show a willingness to work towards consensus with the old guard following Jiang's semi-retirement. Zeng left public life in 2008.