Wang Shengming
Wang Shengming is a Chinese jurist and former senior official of the National People’s Congress. He served as a member of the Standing Committee of both the 12th and 13th NPC, Vice Chairman of the Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee during the 12th NPC, and later Vice Chairman of the Supervisory and Judicial Affairs Committee during the 13th NPC. He is widely known for his contributions to the drafting and revision of major civil and commercial legislation in China, including his role as a principal drafter of the Contract Law of the People's Republic of China.
Biography
Wang Shengming was born in November 1956 in Lanxi, Zhejiang. He began working in October 1977 as a sent-down youth in Duohu Township, Jinhua, Zhejiang. From 1978 to 1982, he studied political economy at the Department of Economics of Hangzhou University. He went on to pursue graduate studies in civil law at the Department of Law of Xiamen University from 1982 to 1985, earning a master's degree. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in May 1982.In August 1985, Wang began his career at the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. He first served in the First Division of the Civil Law Office, later becoming Deputy Director of the Second Division in 1987. From 1990 to 1993, he served as Director of the First Division of the Civil Law Office and the Legislative Bureau of the National Diet from January 1991 to January 1992.
Wang was appointed Deputy Director of the Civil Law Office in August 1993, and in 1996 he became Director of the office, holding the post until 2003. In March 2003, he was promoted to Deputy Director of the Legislative Affairs Commission, where he served for a decade. In June 2013, he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee of the 12th NPC. In March 2018, he became Vice Chairman of the Supervisory and Judicial Affairs Committee of the 13th NPC, serving for the duration of the term.
Over the course of his career, Wang participated in the drafting and revision of numerous national laws, including the General Principles of Civil Law, Civil Procedure Law, Administrative Procedure Law, Arbitration Law, Copyright Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, and the Commercial Banking Law. He was also a principal drafter of the Contract Law, playing a significant role in the development of China’s modern civil legal framework.