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Zhang Guoqing

The latest news on Chinese politician Zhang Guoqing, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China, including political stories and updates.

Born

13 Aug 1964

Industry

Politics

Job Title

Former Vice-Premier of China

A satellite view of glaciers in Langtang, Nepal. Temperatures in the Himalayas are rising at more than twice the global average. Photo via Reuters

Science

China, Nepal built an early warning system for melting glaciers. Does it work?

Wednesday’s deadly ice-rock avalanche on high-altitude Tibet border highlights glacial instability in region vulnerable to climate change.

27 Aug 2026 - 9:02PMvideocam

Accidents and disasters in China

China-Nepal flash flood: death toll rises to 392, over 1,000 missing

28 Aug 2026 - 6:56AMvideocam

China's economic recovery

China’s steel sector must avoid US rust belt’s fate: party journal

26 Aug 2026 - 11:12PM

China trade

China-EU tensions, Xi in North Korea, flatlining retail sales

This week: China seeks to avert EU trade war, Xi hails ‘unwavering’ ties with North Korea, and US blacklists Chinese tech giants for alleged military ties. Next week: May retail sales data may show little growth, China tightens minerals controls, Nvidia gaming chip challenger comes to market, and more.

12 Jun 2026 - 5:00PM

French President Emmanuel Macron (centre) chairs an international videoconference on global growth. Photo: EPA

Accidents and disasters in China

82 killed in China’s worst coal mine accident for more than a decade

More than 100 survivors treated in hospital after the explosion in Shanxi and executives from the mining firm have been detained.

23 May 2026 - 11:42PMvideocam

China-Russia relations

China and Russia hold trade expo as Putin and Trump visits draw global attention

Expo in Harbin highlights expanding economic ties amid rising geopolitical and trade uncertainties.

18 May 2026 - 8:30PM

China society

Editorial | China fireworks factory blast sharpens focus on workplace safety

China’s safety record has improved but concerns persist about under-reporting and uneven compliance.

7 May 2026 - 7:15AM

Rescuers work on site after an explosion at a fireworks plant in Liuyang, central China’s Hunan province, on May 5. Photo: Xinhua

Accidents and disasters in China

Exclusive | Wounded volunteer tells of risky clean-up at Chinese fireworks blast scene

Witnesses describe overwhelming smell of burnt gunpowder from site of explosion as authorities assess damage to nearby houses from the blast.

6 May 2026 - 9:02PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

Why leading Chinese scientists are rising to the top in the Communist Party

The number of members from the country’s elite research academies in a key decision-making body has doubled in the course of a decade.

21 Apr 2026 - 11:00AM

Tibet

Safety and quality ‘top priorities’ for China’s highly sensitive Tibet mega dam

Vice-Premier Zhang Gouqing stresses Beijing’s commitment to the ‘landmark project’ when visiting the Yarlung Tsangpo construction site.

13 Apr 2026 - 6:41PMvideocam

The dam will be the world’s largest hydropower project when complete. Photo: Xinhua

US-China trade war

Chinese premier tours rare earths production hub amid rising US tech rivalry

Premier Li Qiang called for China to consolidate its lead in industries like rare earths, where Beijing has a strategic edge over Washington.

13 Feb 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: Reuters

China’s Communist Party

How Chinese corruption busters are tracking down bribes paid in cryptocurrency

A documentary on state television highlights how a senior central bank official was bribed with a digital currency.

15 Jan 2026 - 8:34PMvideocam

China economy

Chinese vice-premiers’ tours highlight hi-tech push, poverty relief, Aids fight

Zhang Guoqing and Liu Guozhong have visited Zhejiang and Sichuan, one driving China’s hi-tech hopes and the other battling high Aids deaths.

12 Oct 2025 - 5:47PMvideocam

Tibet

China launches Tibet mega dam project that has sparked water worries in India

Premier Li Qiang attends groundbreaking ceremony for Yarlung Tsangpo dam on Tibetan Plateau with projected 300 billion kWh annual capacity.

19 Jul 2025 - 10:47PM

The Yarlung Tsangpo River in Medog county of Nyingchi, in Tibet autonomous region. Photo: Xinhua

Belt and Road Initiative

China to speed up bullet-train connectivity with neighbours

High-speed railways will be a cornerstone of China’s Belt and Road, creating key transport arteries to set international railway standards.

8 Jul 2025 - 8:08PM

China’s completed overseas rail projects include the China-Laos railway (pictured). Photo: Xinhua

Artificial intelligence

US declines to sign international declaration on artificial intelligence

Statement by more than 60 nations including China aims to erect guardrails to ensure AI is ‘inclusive, transparent, secure and trustworthy’.

12 Feb 2025 - 7:17PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

Xi demands ‘disruptive’ innovation to ‘fight battle in core technologies’

At meeting of Communist Party’s top policymaking body, Xi says China must ‘fight the battle in core technologies’, increase supply chain resilience in face of containment by US.

2 Feb 2024 - 2:09AM

Accidents and disasters in China

8 dead in China as landslide buries mountain village

More than a dozen homes were in the disaster’s path as it struck on Monday morning, state media report.

22 Jan 2024 - 9:04PMvideocam

Rescuers look for victims of a landslide that struck the village of Liangshui in southwest Yunnan province on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

China’s Communist Party

China strips 3 aerospace-defence executives of political titles amid crackdown

State media reports top political advisory body decides to revoke seats of executives from three major companies

28 Dec 2023 - 5:03PMvideocam

Accidents and disasters in China

Gansu earthquake rescue ‘basically over’, focus now on survivors

Death toll from Monday night quake at 131, says state media, as teams work to protect residents and restore infrastructure.

20 Dec 2023 - 7:55PMvideocam

China-EU relations

EU-China summit on for December as Brussels eyes Russia sanctions violators

Bloc’s top officials confirmed to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang while concerns about Beijing subsidies and Ukraine support persist.

11 Nov 2023 - 5:21AMvideocam

European Union Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton speaks during a media briefing in Beijing on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE

China’s Communist Party

China confirms Vice-Premier He Lifeng as head of Communist Party finance body

He attends meeting of Central Finance Commission, established in March to serve as primary planner for financial system as ruling party seeks direct control over wide range of policy areas.

6 Nov 2023 - 8:43PM

He Lifeng, who was promoted to vice-premier in March, has taken on a bigger trade portfolio than his predecessor.
Photo: Kyodo

China’s Communist Party

Vice-Premier He Lifeng shown to be China’s point man on economic ties

He, a confidant of President Xi Jinping, covers a bigger footprint in the trade portfolio than his predecessor Liu He but is not responsible for tech or manufacturing.

4 Oct 2023 - 9:30PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

Leading Chinese car engineer given provincial leadership role in Hubei

The appointment of Shao Xinyu comes as the leadership is seeking to promote more officials with science and technology backgrounds.

29 Sep 2023 - 9:23PMvideocam

China-EU relations

EU to name Swedish diplomat as new Asia Pacific chief

Kvarnström confirms he will take over the position before the end of the year.

18 Sep 2023 - 5:00PM

Niclas Kvarnström has confirmed he will take up the EU post this year. Photo: Handout

China-EU relations

EU digital boss will travel to China to pitch AI global governing body

Vera Jourova to promote idea of artificial intelligence advisory panel in dialogue with Chinese vice-premier during 24-hour visit to Beijing, where she is also expected to sign consumer safety deal and raise concerns from European business community.

15 Sep 2023 - 9:39PMvideocam

EU digital chief Vera Jourova will raise concerns about the use of AI to surveil Uygurs in China’s far western region of Xinjiang when she heads to Beijing early next week. Photo: EPA-EFE

China-Russia relations

‘Very high level’: Putin plays up Russia’s economic ties with China

In talks with Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing, Putin says growing trade is based on the political relationship between the two countries.

12 Sep 2023 - 9:48PMvideocam

China-Russia relations

Great gains of grain: China, Russia agree to build US$159 million hub at border

Fresh deals signed at the Eastern Economic Forum in a Russian city bordering China show how the neighbours continue to grow closer amid tensions with the West.

13 Sep 2023 - 9:36AMvideocam

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Zhang Guoqing

China, Nepal built an early warning system for melting glaciers. Does it work?

Wednesday’s deadly ice-rock avalanche on high-altitude Tibet border highlights glacial instability in region vulnerable to climate change.

China-Nepal flash flood: death toll rises to 392, over 1,000 missing

China’s steel sector must avoid US rust belt’s fate: party journal

China-EU tensions, Xi in North Korea, flatlining retail sales

82 killed in China’s worst coal mine accident for more than a decade

More than 100 survivors treated in hospital after the explosion in Shanxi and executives from the mining firm have been detained.

China and Russia hold trade expo as Putin and Trump visits draw global attention

Expo in Harbin highlights expanding economic ties amid rising geopolitical and trade uncertainties.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Editorial | China fireworks factory blast sharpens focus on workplace safety

China’s safety record has improved but concerns persist about under-reporting and uneven compliance.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Exclusive | Wounded volunteer tells of risky clean-up at Chinese fireworks blast scene

Witnesses describe overwhelming smell of burnt gunpowder from site of explosion as authorities assess damage to nearby houses from the blast.

Why leading Chinese scientists are rising to the top in the Communist Party

The number of members from the country’s elite research academies in a key decision-making body has doubled in the course of a decade.

Safety and quality ‘top priorities’ for China’s highly sensitive Tibet mega dam

Vice-Premier Zhang Gouqing stresses Beijing’s commitment to the ‘landmark project’ when visiting the Yarlung Tsangpo construction site.

Chinese premier tours rare earths production hub amid rising US tech rivalry

Premier Li Qiang called for China to consolidate its lead in industries like rare earths, where Beijing has a strategic edge over Washington.

How Chinese corruption busters are tracking down bribes paid in cryptocurrency

A documentary on state television highlights how a senior central bank official was bribed with a digital currency.

Chinese vice-premiers’ tours highlight hi-tech push, poverty relief, Aids fight

Zhang Guoqing and Liu Guozhong have visited Zhejiang and Sichuan, one driving China’s hi-tech hopes and the other battling high Aids deaths.

China launches Tibet mega dam project that has sparked water worries in India

Premier Li Qiang attends groundbreaking ceremony for Yarlung Tsangpo dam on Tibetan Plateau with projected 300 billion kWh annual capacity.

China to speed up bullet-train connectivity with neighbours

High-speed railways will be a cornerstone of China’s Belt and Road, creating key transport arteries to set international railway standards.

US declines to sign international declaration on artificial intelligence

Statement by more than 60 nations including China aims to erect guardrails to ensure AI is ‘inclusive, transparent, secure and trustworthy’.

Xi demands ‘disruptive’ innovation to ‘fight battle in core technologies’

At meeting of Communist Party’s top policymaking body, Xi says China must ‘fight the battle in core technologies’, increase supply chain resilience in face of containment by US.

8 dead in China as landslide buries mountain village

More than a dozen homes were in the disaster’s path as it struck on Monday morning, state media report.

China strips 3 aerospace-defence executives of political titles amid crackdown

State media reports top political advisory body decides to revoke seats of executives from three major companies

Gansu earthquake rescue ‘basically over’, focus now on survivors

Death toll from Monday night quake at 131, says state media, as teams work to protect residents and restore infrastructure.

EU-China summit on for December as Brussels eyes Russia sanctions violators

Bloc’s top officials confirmed to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang while concerns about Beijing subsidies and Ukraine support persist.

China confirms Vice-Premier He Lifeng as head of Communist Party finance body

He attends meeting of Central Finance Commission, established in March to serve as primary planner for financial system as ruling party seeks direct control over wide range of policy areas.

Vice-Premier He Lifeng shown to be China’s point man on economic ties

He, a confidant of President Xi Jinping, covers a bigger footprint in the trade portfolio than his predecessor Liu He but is not responsible for tech or manufacturing.

Leading Chinese car engineer given provincial leadership role in Hubei

The appointment of Shao Xinyu comes as the leadership is seeking to promote more officials with science and technology backgrounds.

EU to name Swedish diplomat as new Asia Pacific chief

Kvarnström confirms he will take over the position before the end of the year.

EU digital boss will travel to China to pitch AI global governing body

Vera Jourova to promote idea of artificial intelligence advisory panel in dialogue with Chinese vice-premier during 24-hour visit to Beijing, where she is also expected to sign consumer safety deal and raise concerns from European business community.

‘Very high level’: Putin plays up Russia’s economic ties with China

In talks with Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing, Putin says growing trade is based on the political relationship between the two countries.

Great gains of grain: China, Russia agree to build US$159 million hub at border

Fresh deals signed at the Eastern Economic Forum in a Russian city bordering China show how the neighbours continue to grow closer amid tensions with the West.

Editorial | China fireworks factory blast sharpens focus on workplace safety

Exclusive | Wounded volunteer tells of risky clean-up at Chinese fireworks blast scene