Zhang Deguang

Zhang Deguang
Zhang in 2003
Executive Secretary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
In office
15 January 2004 – 31 December 2006
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byBolat Nurgaliyev
(as Secretary-General)
Ambassador of China to Russia
In office
July 2001 – October 2003
Preceded byWu Tao
Succeeded byLiu Guchang
Ambassador of China to Kazakhstan
In office
April 1992 – August 1993
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byChen Di
Personal details
Born (1941-02-10) 10 February 1941 (age 85)
Jining, Shandong, Republic of China, Empire of Japan
EducationBeijing Institute of Foreign Languages

Zhang Deguang (Simplified Chinese: 张德广; born 10 February 1941) was Executive Secretary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation from 2004 to 2006.

Biography

Born in Jining, homeland of Chinese philosophers Confucius and Men Ji, in Shandong Province of occupied China. In 1965 he graduated from the Beijing Institute of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Russian literature. Zhang Deguang speaks Chinese, Russian and English.

In 1965 he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. There he has held the following posts:

On 29 May 2003, at the meeting of Heads of SCO member states, he was appointed Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. On 15 January 2004, he took up his duties at this post.

In December 1999 President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin awarded Zhang Deguang with the "Friendship Order". In December 2001 President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev awarded him with First Grade Friendship Order of Kazakhstan. In February 2003 he was awarded as Academician of the Russian Academy of Social Sciences. In April 2003 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Institute of Far Eastern Studies and with the First Grade Medal of the Sino-Russian Friendship Society. In October 2003 President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin presented him with Commemorative Diploma for special contribution to strengthening Sino-Russian friendship. In March 2004 President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin awarded Zhang Deguang with Commemorative Medal on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Saint Petersburg.