Zhang Deguang


Zhang Deguang 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.