Li Ruihuan, Chairman of CPPCC National Committee

 

Li Ruihuan, chairman of the Ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was reelected the supremer leader of the new CPPCC National Committee.

His principal duties are to unite all sectors of society, confer on state affairs and provide ideas for the top bodies of Chinese government for reference. The achievements he had scored over the past five years fully demonstrate that he is qualified to the noble and sacred post.

Li, born into ordinary peasant family in Tianjin's Baodi County, September, 1934; worked as construction worker in Beijing Third Construction Company, 1951-65; attended spare-time architecture engineering institute, 1958-63; and received college certificate.

Inventor of the "simplified calculation method," which updated the traditional "lofting method" in carpentry, Li was known as young "Lu Ban", a legendary master carpenter in ancient China.

Li has both practical experience at the grassroots level and college education. He joined Communist Party of China (CPC) in September 1959 and served as deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Beijing Building Materials Company after 1965. He was prosecuted from 1966 to 1971 during the "cultural revolution". After 1971, he held leading posts in civil construction units, including vice-chairman of Beijing Municipal Trade Union Federation and vice-chairman of All-China Youth Federation.

In 1982-84, Li served as secretary of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee and acting mayor and then mayor of Tianjin. Between 1987-89, he became member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee, secretary of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, and Tianjin mayor.

From 1992 on, he has been a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and was elected chairman of Eighth CPPCC National Committee in 1993.

During his tenure of office as Tianjin mayor, he went all out for institutional restructuring, with focus of attention placed on improving urban housing and public transport conditions. He organized and implemented the project of "diverting water from Luanhe river to Tianjin" and a chain of construction project around Tianjin. With many eminent deeds performed for local residents, he has been highly praised by locals for his practical style of work.

People of Tianjin still remembered very well his call-in radio and TV programs broadcast or televised through which he directly answered residents' inquires, all in concrete terms.

Li was elected member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Central Committee's Secretariat at the Fourth Plenary Session of 13th CPC Central Committee in 1989, to take charge of ideological work. He is renowned for his profound study and open-mindedness in the intellectual circle. And he published two books "Ideas on Urban Development" and "Ideas On Doing Practical Things for People".

Since he chaired the Eighth CPPCC National Committee in early 1993, he has injected new vigor and vitality into the CPPCC's work with his enlightened views and practical attitude.

The CPPCC's basic functions in the past were political consultation and democratic supervision, to which Li added new contents -- participation in and deliberation of state affairs, after assuming office. Then, CPC Central Committee issued a notice to Party committees at all levels, and urged the committees to create conditions for the work of local CPPCC committees. As a result, the CPPCC's status in China's political life has greatly been raised.

During late November to early December 1993, Li paid official visits to Nepal, India and Pakistan. That was the first time for a Chinese leader to visit foreign countries in the name of the chairman of the CPPCC National Committee after New China was founded in 1949. Li's diplomatic activities has raised the level of the CPPCC's foreign contacts.

Within the framework of China' general foreign policys, the CPPCC has conducted exchanges with foreign countries at various levels in the past five years. By 1997, it has forged ties and conducted friendly exchanges with 98 institutions from 68 countries and four international organizations.

Li Ruihuan sets great store by the method of study. At the 21st meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eight CPPCC National Committee, he recommended a unique study method, which integrates theory learning with the review of experiences and study of practical work.

On the one hand, reading books is kind of study and so is application and more important at that, he said. On the other hand, he added, the process of book reading is in fact a process of learning and applying theories.

With regard his personal life, Li develops a widee range of interests, with a particular liking for Beijing Opera. And his other hobbies include playing tennis or table tennis and going for fishing.