Yuan Jiajun

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Yuan Jiajun

| native_name = {{lang|zh-hans|{{nobold|袁家军}}}}

| other names =

| image = Yuan Jiajun.png

| caption = Yuan in 2019

| office = Party Secretary of Chongqing

| term_start = 8 December 2022

| term_end =

| predecessor = Chen Min'er

| successor =

| deputy = Hu Henghua (Mayor)

| office1 = Party Secretary of Zhejiang

| term_start1 = 1 September 2020

| term_end1 = 7 December 2022

| predecessor1 = Che Jun

| successor1 = Yi Lianhong

| deputy1 = Zheng Shanjie → Wang Hao (Governor)

| office2 = Governor of Zhejiang

| term_start2 = 28 April 2017

| term_end2 = 4 September 2020

| predecessor2 = Che Jun

| successor2 = Zheng Shanjie

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1962|9|27}}

| birth_place = Tonghua, Jilin, China

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Chinese Communist Party

| spouse =

| children =

| alma_mater = Beijing Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

| module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes|order=st

| s = {{linktext|袁|家|军}}

| t = {{linktext|袁|家|軍}}

| p = Yuán Jiājūn

}}

Yuan Jiajun ({{zh|s=袁家军}}; born 27 September 1962) is a Chinese aerospace engineer and politician who is currently serving as the Party Secretary of Chongqing and a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.

Before his political career, Yuan was best known for his role as chief designer of the Shenzhou spacecraft, which carries Chinese taikonauts into space. He also served as the governor of Zhejiang from 2017 to 2020 and the Party Secretary of Zhejiang from 2020 to 2022.

Early life and education

Yuan was born in Tonghua, Jilin. In September 1980, Yuan graduated from Beijing Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, majoring in aircraft design and applied mechanics. In July 1984 he joined the Ministry of Aerospace Industry. After graduation, he worked as a graduate research student. He studied abroad at the German Aerospace Center.

Aerospace career

Yuan returned to China in August 1990 to work for the "501 office". He ascended the ranks of the ministry steadily, taking on increasingly senior administrative roles. In April 2000, he was named commander of the Shenzhou crewed spaceflight program. During his command, Shenzhou spaceships were launched successfully. Until 2003, he headed the Shenzhou projects 2 to 5.{{Cite news |last=Chen |first=Stephen |date=12 August 2014 |title=Rocket scientist becomes deputy governor of Zhejiang |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1572136/rocket-scientist-becomes-deputy-governor-zhejiang |access-date=19 December 2024 |work=South China Morning Post}} Thereafter he gained a doctorate from his alma mater, now renamed Beihang University. Yuan became vice-president of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation in November 2007, and became involved in the Lunar Mission and the joint Chinese-Russian mission to explore Mars. Yuan has received numerous awards for his work in the Chinese Space Program.

Political career

He became involved in politics in 2012, joining the party standing committee in Ningxia, and becoming vice chairman of Ningxia in 2013, and overseeing the operations of the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Operations Industry Base ({{lang|zh|宁东能源化工基地}}).

Yuan was an alternate of the 17th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and a full member of the 19th Central Committee.

= Zhejiang =

In August 2014, Yuan was named a party standing committee member of the prosperous coastal Zhejiang province, then assumed the post of executive vice governor, in charge of police, religion, tax collection and national security.{{cite web |script-title=zh:"航天少帅"袁家军转任浙江省委常委、常务副省长 |url=http://china.caixin.com/2014-08-11/100715463.html |access-date=2014-08-11 |work=caixin.com}} He also became the contact person for the provincial People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police. In November 2016, Yuan was named deputy party chief of Zhejiang and head of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Zhejiang.{{cite web |script-title=zh:袁家军不再担任浙江省副省长 |url=http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1554976 |access-date=2016-11-03 |work=thepaper}} In April 2017, Yuan was appointed as acting governor of Zhejiang; he was confirmed on July 7.{{cite web |script-title=zh:袁家軍任浙江省副省長、代省長，此前擔任浙江省委副書記 |url=http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1673231 |access-date=2017-04-28 |work=thepaper}} In 2018, he headed an inquiry committee over public protests due to the results of English language test in Gaokao; the committee concluded in December that the Zhejiang Education Department made a "wrong policy decision", distorting many students' scores.{{Cite news |last=Zhang |first=Phoebe |date=5 December 2018 |title=No marks for Chinese education bosses sacked after exam results public outcry |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2176554/no-marks-chinese-education-bosses-sacked-after-exam-results |access-date=19 December 2024 |work=South China Morning Post}}

On 31 August 2020, Yuan was appointed as the CCP Secretary of Zhejiang.{{cite web|script-title=zh:辽宁浙江省委主要负责同志职务调整 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/renshi/2020-09/01/c_1126439447.htm |website=Xinhua |accessdate=2020-09-01 |date=2020-09-01}} In December 2020, Yuan chaired a meeting of the Zhejiang Provincial CCP Standing Committee which discussed directives by the central CCP leadership to break up monopolies and control expansion of capital while "promoting healthy and regulated development of the platform economy".{{Cite news |last=Feng |first=Coco |last2=Zhou |first2=Xin |date=29 December 2020 |title=Alibaba antitrust probe: home province vows to bring platform economy into ‘new stage’ |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3115591/alibaba-antitrust-probe-home-province-vows-bring-platform-economy-new |access-date=19 December 2024 |work=South China Morning Post}} In April 2021, Yuan chaired another meeting of the Standing Committee, which pledged to "supervise and guide" the platform economy, including Alibaba Group. It also pledged to "promote the health and regulated development" of the platform economy.{{Cite news |last=Hu |first=Minghe |date=15 April 2021 |title=China antitrust: Alibaba’s home province vows to ‘supervise and guide’ the e-commerce giant to rectify violations |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3129684/china-antitrust-alibabas-home-province-vows-supervise-and-guide-e |access-date=19 December 2024 |work=South China Morning Post}}

= Chongqing =

After the 20th Party Congress in October 2022, Yuan became a member of the CCP Politburo. On 8 December 2022, Yuan was appointed as the CCP Secretary of Chongqing, succeeding Chen Min'er.{{Cite news |last=Lau |first=Mimi |date=8 December 2022 |title=Rocket scientist Yuan Jiajun named China’s Communist Party chief for mega city Chongqing |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3202482/rocket-scientist-yuan-jiajun-named-chinas-communist-party-chief-mega-city-chongqing |access-date=25 September 2024 |work=South China Morning Post}}

He met with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in May 2023, where both cities pledged to increase cooperation in several areas.{{Cite news |last=Ng |first=Kang-chung |date=11 May 2023 |title=Hong Kong, mainland China megacity Chongqing agree on closer cooperation in 11 areas including technology, finance and arts |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3220225/hi-tech-tour-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-during-chongqing-visit-prompts-call-more-cooperation-research |access-date=19 December 2024 |work=South China Morning Post}} In August 2023, Yuan met with members of US General Joseph Stilwell's family for the 140th anniversary of his birth, saying he hoped to take the visit as an opportunity to "better promote people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States and contribute to the development of China-US relations".{{Cite news |last=Wang |first=Orange |date=10 August 2023 |title=China salutes WWII American general Joe Stilwell in personal push to improve US ties |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3230674/china-salutes-wwii-american-general-joe-stilwell-personal-push-improve-us-ties |access-date=19 December 2024 |work=South China Morning Post}}