Huang Ju, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice-premier, died of illness at 2:03 am on Saturday in Beijing at the age of 69.

An obituary issued by the central authorities called Huang "an excellent member of the CPC, a long-tested and faithful Communist fighter and an outstanding leader of the Party and the State".

The obituary was issued by the CPC Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Huang, born in September, 1938 and a native of Jiashan, Zhejiang Province, joined the CPC in March, 1966 and graduated from the Electrical Engineering Department of Tsinghua University.

From 1995 to 2002, he served as member of the CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

In November 2002, he was elected a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the first plenary session of the 16th CPC National Congress.

Huang was approved as vice-premier of the State Council at the 1st session of the 10th National People's Congress in March, 2003.

Other posts he held over the years include:

From 1963 to 1982: Worked in the Shanghai Artificial-Board Machinery Factory, Shanghai Zhonghua Metallurgical Factory and Shanghai Petrochemical General Machine-Building Company, working his way up from a technician to engineer and deputy manager.

From 1983 to 1984: A member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and secretary of the Municipal Industrial Work Party Committee.

From 1984 to 1985: A Standing Committee member of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and concurrently secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

From 1985 to 1986: Deputy secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

From 1986 to 1994: Vice-mayor and mayor of Shanghai.

Source: China Daily/Xinhua