Former chairman of NPC Standing Committee dies

Staff reporters

Wu Bangguo, former chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, died of illness at 4.36am yesterday in Beijing, an official obituary said. He was 84.

Wu was born in July 1941 and studied at the Department of Radio and Electronics of Tsinghua University between 1960 and 1967. He joined the party in April 1964.

He worked as an engineer in Shanghai upon graduation before entering the political sector in 1983. He became a Politburo member in 1992 and was elected as vice premier of the State Council in 1995.

Wu entered the highest circles of power in 2002 as a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo, ranking second and under then-general secretary Hu Jintao.

Wu made a famous the "Five Nos" speech as NPCSC chairman in 2011, where he specified China will not become a multi-party democracy or adopt other Western-style political reforms.

He said there are five things that will never appear in China - a multiparty system, diversity of guiding ideologies, separation of powers, federal system and privatization.

Wu visited Hong Kong twice, the first time in 2000, when he was vice premier of the State Council.

He returned six years later in 2006 as NPCSC chairman, visiting vocational schools and communicating with people from different sectors of society.

He said: "Hong Kong's society is stable, harmonious and filled with vitality. I am sincerely happy. I hope I can see an even more beautiful Hong Kong next time I am here."