Li Xiannian (1909-92) was a native of Huang'an (now Hong'an), Hubei Province. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, he served as Vice-Premier of the State Council and Minister of Finance for a long time. In August 1977, at the First Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC, he was elected member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee. In 1979, he served as Vice-Premier of the State Council and deputy head of the Financial and Economic Committee. In 1983, he became President of the People's Republic of China. In 1988 he was elected Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.