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Yang Jiechi is elected as a member of the Political Bureau of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Oct. 25, 2017. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The following is the biographical sketch of Yang Jiechi:

Yang Jiechi, male, Han ethnicity, was born in May 1950 and is from Shanghai. He began his first job in September 1968 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in December 1971. Yang graduated from History Department, Nanjing University where he completed an in-service graduate program in world history. He holds a Doctor of History degree.

Yang is currently a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. He is also a State Councilor, a member of the Leading Party Members Group of the State Council, Director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Foreign Affairs, and Director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Safeguarding Maritime Rights and Interests.

2017- Member, CPC Central Committee Political Bureau

State Councilor and Leading Party Members Group member, State Council

Director, Office of the Central Leading Group for Foreign Affairs

Director, Office of the Central Leading Group for Safeguarding Maritime Rights and Interests

2013-2017 State Councilor and Leading Party Members Group member, State Council

Director, Office of the Central Leading Group for Foreign Affairs

Director, Office of the Central Leading Group for National Security Affairs (up to Feb 2014)

Director, Office of the Central Leading Group for Safeguarding Maritime Rights and Interests

2007-2013 Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Secretary, Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2005-2007 Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Secretary, Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Attended an in-service graduate program in world history at History Department, Nanjing University and was awarded a Doctor of History degree (2001-2006)

2004-2005 Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Member, Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2000-2004 Ambassador of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the United States of America

1998-2000 Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Member, Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1995-1998 Assistant Minister and Party Committee member, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Director General, Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (concurrently, Aug 1995-Mar 1996)

Attended a continuing studies course for provincial- and ministerial-level officials at the Central Party School (Sep-Nov 1996)

1993-1995 Minister, Embassy of the PRC in the United States of America

1990-1993 Counselor and concurrently Office Director; Deputy Director General, Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1987-1990 Counselor and concurrently Office Director, Department of Translation and Interpretation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1983-1987 Second Secretary; First Secretary; and Counselor, Embassy of the PRC in the United States of America

1975-1983 Staff member, Department of Translation and Interpretation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1973-1975 Studied at Ealing College and University of Bath

Studied international relations in London School of Economics and Political Science

1972-1973 Attended a training course in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in preparation for overseas education

1968-1972 Worker, Pujiang Electric Meter Factory, Shanghai

Alternate member, 16th CPC Central Committee

Member, 17th through 19th CPC Central Committees

Member, 19th CPC Central Committee Political Bureau.