Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was elected president of the People's Republic of China on March 15, 2003 at the first session of the 10th National People's Congress, becoming the new head of China with a population of approximately 1.3 billion.

Hu Jintao, a native of Jixi, Anhui Province, was born in December 1942. He joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in April 1964 and began to work in July 1965 after he graduated from the Water Conservancy Engineering Department of Tsinghua University, where he had a major in the study of hub hydropower stations. He is an engineer.

1959-1964: Student at the Water Conservancy Engineering Department of Tsinghua University.

1964-1965: Postgraduate and political instructor at the Water Conservancy Engineering Department of Tsinghua University.

1965-1968: Participated in R&D at the Water Conservancy Engineering Department of Tsinghua University and served as political instructor before the start of the "cultural revolution."

1968-1969: Worked with the housing construction team of Liujia Gorge Engineering Bureau, Ministry of Water Conservancy.

1969-1974: Technician and secretary of No. 813 Sub-Bureau, Fourth Engineering Bureau, Ministry of Water Conservancy and deputy-secretary of the general Party branch of the sub-bureau's head office.

1974-1975: Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Construction Committee (GPCC).

1975-1980: Deputy Director of the design management division, GPCC.

1980-1982: Vice chairman of GPCC and secretary of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League (Sept.1982-Dec.1982).

1982-1984: Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, chairman of the All-China Youth Federation.

1984-1985: First secretary, Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China.

1985-1988: Secretary of the Guizhou Provincial Party Committee.

1988-1992: Secretary of the Party Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region.

1992-1993: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.

1993-1998: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

1998-1999: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, vice president of the People's Republic of China, president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

1999-2002: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, vice president of the People's Republic of China, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China, president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

2002-March 2003: General secretary of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and vice president of the People's Republic of China.

He was an alternate member, member of the 12th CPC Central Committee, member of the 13th, 14th and 15th CPC Central Committees and is a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee. He was a member of the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee, and member of the Secretariat of the 14th and 15th CPC Central Committees and is a member of the Political Bureau and of its Standing Committee, and general secretary of the 16th CPC Central Committee. He was made an additional vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 15th CPC Central Committee. He was a member of the Standing Committee of the 6th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).