Zhao Kezhi

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhao.

Not to be confused with Zhao Keshi.

Zhao Kezhi (Chinese: 赵克志; born 28 December 1953) is a Chinese retired politician who served as a State Councilor of the People’s Republic of China and as the Minister and Party Committee Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, with the top police officer rank of Police Commissioner General. He is the former Communist Party Secretary of Hebei and Guizhou provinces, and the former Governor of Guizhou province. He had also previously served as a vice governor of Shandong and Jiangsu provinces.

Police Commissioner General Zhao Kezhi
赵克志
Zhao in 2018
State Councilor of the People's Republic of China
In office 19 March 2018 – 12 March 2023
Premier	Li Keqiang
Preceded by	Guo Shengkun
Succeeded by	Wang Xiaohong
Minister of Public Security
In office 4 November 2017 – 24 June 2022
Premier	Li Keqiang
Deputy	Fu Zhenghua, Wang Xiaohong, others
Preceded by	Guo Shengkun
Succeeded by	Wang Xiaohong
Chairman of Hebei People's Congress
In office January 2016 – December 2017
Preceded by	Zhou Benshun
Succeeded by	Wang Dongfeng
Communist Party Secretary of Hebei
In office 31 July 2015 – 28 October 2017
Deputy	Zhang Qingwei→Xu Qin (Governor) Zhao Yong (party affairs)
Preceded by	Zhou Benshun
Succeeded by	Wang Dongfeng
Chairman of Guizhou People's Congress
In office January 2013 – January 2016
Preceded by	Li Zhanshu
Succeeded by	Chen Min'er
Communist Party Secretary of Guizhou
In office July 2012 – July 2015
Deputy	Chen Min'er (Governor) Chen Yiqin (party affairs)
Preceded by	Li Zhanshu
Succeeded by	Chen Min'er
Governor of Guizhou
In office August 2010 – December 2012
Preceded by	Lin Shusen
Succeeded by	Chen Min'er
Personal details
Born	(1953-12-28) 28 December 1953 Laixi, Shandong, China
Political party	Chinese Communist Party
Alma mater	Central Party School
Website	www.gov.cn/zhaokezhi
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	赵克志
Traditional Chinese	趙克志
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhào Kèzhì

Career

Zhao was born in Laixi, Shandong province. He entered the workforce in March 1973 as a middle school teacher in Laixi, and joined the Chinese Communist Party in January 1975. In April 1984, he became Laixi's mayor and deputy Communist Party Chief. In March 1987, he was appointed mayor and deputy party chief of nearby Jimo, and became its party chief in 1989. In December 1997, he was promoted to be the party chief of Dezhou, a prefecture-level city in Shandong. From February 2001 to March 2006, he was the vice governor of Shandong province.

In 2006, Zhao was transferred to the neighbouring Jiangsu province, where he was the executive vice governor until August 2010, when he was transferred again to southwestern Guizhou province, where he was appointed deputy party chief and acting governor. A month later he was elected by the Guizhou Provincial Congress as governor. In July 2012 Zhao was promoted to concurrently serve as the Communist Party Secretary of Guizhou; in December he relinquished his governor post, and Chen Min'er was chosen as his successor.

In July 2015, following the dismissal of Zhou Benshun, Zhao was named party chief of Hebei province. During his term in Hebei, planning began for the ambitious Xiong'an New Area. In October 2017, shortly after the 19th Party Congress, Zhao, then 63, was appointed as the Party Committee Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security. He was appointed as the Minister of Public Security on November 4, 2017.

In March 2018, Zhao was appointed as a State Councilor. In June 2018, he became Deputy Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

Zhao is a member of the 18th and 19th Central Committees of the Chinese Communist Party.