Zhou Yongkang

70-year-old Zhou was secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the party’s Central Committee from 2007 to 2012. He spent 18 years in Liaoning province working on geophysical exploration before being promoted to mayor of Panmian city. Other positions he has held include vice-minister of the petroleum industry (1985-1988), minister of land and resources (1998-1999), and Sichuan party boss (1999-2002). In 2002 he became head of the Ministry of Public Security and was made a member of the Politburo’s standing committee in 2007. Zhou is an engineering graduate.

Zhou Yongkang

3 Oct 2012

Former secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee

Top security official Zhou Yongkang makes landmark Afghan visit

23 Sep 2012

China’s top security official has made the first high-level trip to Afghanistan by a senior Chinese leader in nearly half a century, meeting President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, state media said on...

2 comments

Legal policy chief urges better petition handling

15 Jul 2012

Zhou Yongkang, the top mainland official in charge of law and order, yesterday called for better handling of people's complaints and urged officials to take a preventive approach before people's...

Who said it?

2 Jul 2012

I doubt the Syrians, who fought so hard for their independence ... will select people with blood on their hands to lead them

Kofi Annan, at a press conference in Geneva

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Security tsar calls for end to torture

2 Jul 2012

Security tsar Zhou Yongkang has condemned the use of torture and the suspicious deaths of suspects in a speech to law enforcement cadres - a move seen as an attempt to distance himself from ousted...

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Security tsar will attend party congress after all

Security tsar Zhou Yongkang was elected a delegate for Xinjiang to the upcoming Communist Party congress, dispelling renewed speculation that he might have been sidelined.

Security chief Zhou in police pep talk

Security tsar Zhou Yongkang made another high-profile public appearance yesterday - this time with President Hu Jintao - amid rumours that he has been forced to hand over power.

Quotes of the week

I will listen humbly to all the opinions raised by the public and ... remind myself to do my best in my remaining work

Chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen on moves by legislators...

Who said it?

I have so much money that I can't spend it all in my entire life

'King of Shoes' Patrick Tang Kim-kwan, who is attempting to recover property from an unfaithful ex-mistress

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Bo ally falls into line with leaders

The Communist Party's security tsar ordered law enforcement officials to always toe Beijing's political line - comments that come as the central government continues to push for unity amid rumours...

'Social management' unlikely to offer much in the way of justice

The Politburo's internal security boss, Zhou Yongkang, has been very busy in the last couple of months.