Wang Lequan
王乐泉
Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
In office
September 24, 1994 – April 24, 2010
Preceded bySong Hanliang
Succeeded byZhang Chunxian
Personal details
BornDecember 21, 1944
Showkwang, Shantung, China
Political partyChinese Communist Party (1966–2012)
Signature
Wang Lequan
Traditional Chinese王樂泉
Simplified Chinese王乐泉

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 became President of the China Law Society in 2013.

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

  1. 1 2 3 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.
  3. ↑ Wong, Edward; Yang, Xiyun (3 September 2009). "New Protests Reported in Restive Chinese Region". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  4. ↑ McDonald, Scott (21 April 2010). "China replaces party boss in region hit by unrest". Retrieved 24 April 2010.
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