Geng Huichang (Chinese: 耿惠昌; pinyin: Gěng Hùichāng; born 11 November 1951), is a Chinese intelligence officer and politician who served as the 4th Minister of State Security of the People's Republic of China and prior as president of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), the 11th bureau of the Ministry of State Security (MSS).[1] He is currently the vice chairman of the Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and a member of the Standing Committee of the National Conference of the CPPCC National Committee (NC-CPPCC).[2][3][4]

Geng Huichang
耿惠昌
4th Minister of State Security
In office
30 August 2007 – 7 November 2016
PremierWen Jiabao
Li Keqiang
Preceded byXu Yongyue
Succeeded byChen Wenqing
Personal details
Born (1951-11-11) 11 November 1951 (age 73)
Laoting County, Hebei, China
Political partyChinese Communist Party
Central institution membership
  • 17th, 18th CCP Central Committee
  • 10th, 11th National People's Congress
  • 13th People's Political Consultative Conference

Early life

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Geng was born in Laoting County, Hebei province.[5] He reportedly has a college degree.[6]

Intelligence career

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China Institute of Contemporary International Relations

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In 1985 Geng became deputy director of the American Research Department of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), a think tank which constitutes the 11th bureau of the Ministry of State Security (MSS).[7][8] He was promoted to president in 1990, and retained this position until 1993.[9]

He also served as deputy director general of the China International Culture Exchange Center (CICEC).[10]

During his time at CICIR Geng held the title of "Professor" and studied Islamic fundamentalism in Asia.[11]

Deputy Minister of State Security

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In September 1998 he became deputy minister of the Ministry of State Security under Jiang Zemin. He was involved in security preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics, and traveled to Greece in March 2006 in order to study how Greece handled security at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.[12][13] He met with Minister of Public Order Georgios Voulgarakis in Beijing in November 2005, where a memorandum on security issues was signed.[14]

Minister of State Security

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On August 30, 2007, the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress selected Geng to become Minister of State Security, allegedly following predecessor Xu Yongyue's recommendation to Jiang Zemin, head of one of China's primary political factions.[15] In March 2008, he was officially appointed Minister of State Security at the first session of the 11th National People's Congress.[5][16]

Rising through the ranks of the MSS under Jiang Zemin in the late 1990's, Geng became a political ally of Hu Jintao, who promoted him to minister so he could consolidate his own power.[17][18] As an international relations specialist and an expert on the United States, Japan and industrial espionage, Geng was the first Minister of State Security with a background in international politics rather than internal security.[19][20]

In August 2011 Geng visited Nepal in order to develop their bilateral relations.[21] In September 2012 Geng was part of a delegation led by Zhou Yongkang to Singapore, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.[22] In Singapore, he attended the opening ceremony of the Singapore-China Social Management Forum at St. Regis Hotel.[23]

Beginning in January 2010 Geng has also been a member of the National Energy Commission, a State Council-established body designed to improve the coordination of China's energy industry.[24]

As MSS director he was also a statutory member of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.[25]

He was a member of the 17th and 18th Central Committees of the Chinese Communist Party.[citation needed]

In November 2016, Chen Wenquing succeeded Geng as MSS director.[citation needed]

Political career

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A member of the Jiang Zemin faction,[15] Geng remains active in politics, and is currently vice chairman of the Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese Committee in the People's Political Consultative Conference.[4] Geng is also the deputy director of the first supervision group of the Central Committee for the education and rectification of the national political and legal teams.[26]

Bibliography

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  • Multi-National Coordination: Feasibility in Asia-Pacific in Contemporary International Relations (1992).[27]

References

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  1. ^ Jakobson, Linda; Dean Knox (26 September 2010). "New Foreign policy actors in China" (PDF). Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  2. ^ Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee (September 1, 2022). "CPPCC members from HKSAR survey integrated development of YRD in Jiangsu". en.cppcc.gov.cn. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  3. ^ "港澳台侨委员会副主任耿惠昌会见全日本华侨华人联合会代表团一行" [Geng Huichang, deputy director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Overseas Chinese Committee, met with the delegation of the All-Japan Overseas Chinese Federation]. Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. 2018-06-14.
  4. ^ a b He, Zhu; Qiao, Zheng (2022-02-16). "全国政协常委耿惠昌:港澳委员议政建言,推动粤港澳大湾区建设" [Geng Huichang, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference: Hong Kong and Macao members discuss and advise on politics to promote the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area]. news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  5. ^ a b Smith, I.C.; Nigel West (2012). Historical Dictionary of Chinese Intelligence. Scarecrowe Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780810871748.
  6. ^ "首次带队督察,耿惠昌组长最关心哪些问题?_澎湃号·媒体_澎湃新闻-The Paper" [When leading a team for the first time as an inspector, what issues did team leader Geng Huichang care most about?]. www.thepaper.cn. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  7. ^ "Geng Huichang (耿惠昌)". WantChinaTimes.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  8. ^ National Bureau of Asian Research. "China's Rising Leaders: Meet the Delegates". National Bureau of Asian Research. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  9. ^ "Profile of MSS-Affiliated PRC Foreign Policy Think Tank CICIR" (PDF). Federation of American Scientists. 25 August 2011. p. 3.
  10. ^ "China Vitae : Biography of Geng Huichang". www.chinavitae.com. March 7, 2018. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  11. ^ Gujral, I.K. "Why India and China are so distant: The more they change the more they remain the same". The Tribune.
  12. ^ Ekathimerini (29 March 2006). "CHINESE MEETING Greece discusses Olympic know-how". Economic and Commercial Counsellor's Office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Hellenic Republic. Archived from the original on 2006-10-30.
  13. ^ Bodeen, Christopher (30 August 2007). "China replaces finance minister". USA Today.
  14. ^ Athens News Agency (2 November 2005). "Greece and China to sign security cooperation memorandum in light of Beijing Olympic Games". Embassy of Greece in Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on 2005-12-15.
  15. ^ a b Jing, Cheng (2016-12-29). "耿惠昌去職 習攻破國安部堡壘" [Geng Huichang went to work to break through the fortress of the Ministry of State Security]. Epoch Weekly (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  16. ^ Heng, Wei (March 18, 2008). "国家安全部部长耿惠昌简历(图)" [Resume of Geng Huichang, Minister of State Security]. www.chinanews.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  17. ^ Yardley, Jim (31 August 2007). "China Replaces Key Ministers". New York Times.
  18. ^ Wise, David (2011). Tiger Trap: America's Secret Spy War with China. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 8. ISBN 9780547553108.
  19. ^ Fisher, Richard D. (2008). China's Military Modernization: Building for Regional and Global Reach. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 37. ISBN 9780275994860.
  20. ^ Mattis, Peter (September 2012). "Beyond Spy vs. Spy: The Analytic Challenge of Understanding Chinese Intelligence Services" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. p. 52. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2013.
  21. ^ "Press Release 2 - August 17, 2011". Ministry of Home Affairs (Nepal). 17 August 2011.[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ Mattis, Peter (5 October 2012). "Zhou Yongkang's Trip Highlights Security Diplomacy" (PDF). Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2015.
  23. ^ "Opening Ceremony of the Singapore-China Social Management Forum on "Social Management Challenges in Economic Development" at St Regis Hotel - Opening Address by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security & Minister for Home Affairs". Ministry of Home Affairs. 21 September 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-14.
  24. ^ Qu, Hong (March 2010). "China's New National Energy Commission" (PDF). Burson-Marsteller. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04.
  25. ^ Taylor, Monique (16 March 2011). "Fuelling China's Rise: Governing Capacity in the Oil Sector" (PDF). University of Queensland. p. 22.[permanent dead link]
  26. ^ 网易 (2021-10-30). "17岁当书记员、26岁做律师、30岁再进县法院,自此火箭式提拔至省高院审管办领导岗位,40岁被查!" [He became a clerk at the age of 17, a lawyer at the age of 26, and entered the county court at the age of 30. Since then, he has been promoted to the leadership position of the provincial high court's trial management office. He was investigated at the age of 40!]. www.163.com. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  27. ^ Roy, Denny (1998). China's Foreign Relations. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 249. ISBN 9780847690138.
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Preceded by Minister of State Security
2007–2016
Succeeded by