Huang Ju, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Vice-Premier of the State Council, died of illness at 02:03 a.m. June 2 in Beijing at the age of 69.

An obituary issued by the central authorities called Huang "an excellent member of the CPC, a long-tested and faithful Communist fighter and an outstanding leader of the Party and the state."

The obituary was issued by the CPC Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Huang Ju, born in September, 1938, native of Jiashan, Zhejiang Province, joined the CPC in March, 1966 and graduated from the Electrical Engineering Department of Qinghua University.

From 1995 to 2002, he served as member of the CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

In November 2002, he was elected member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the first plenary session of the 16th CPC National Congress.

Huang was approved as vice-premier of the State Council, at the7th plenary meeting of the First Session of the 10th National People's Congress in March, 2003.

From 1963 to 1982, Huang worked in the Shanghai Artificial-Board Machinery Factory, Shanghai Zhonghua Metallurgical Factory and Shanghai Petrochemical General Machine-Building Company. In this period, he was promoted from a technician to engineer and vice manager.

He served as deputy director of the Shanghai No. 1 Bureau of Mechanical and Electrical Industry between 1982 and 1983.

From 1983 to 1984, he served as member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and secretary of the Municipal Industrial Work Party Committee.

From 1984 to 1985, he served as Standing Committee member of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and concurrently as secretary-general of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

Between 1985 and 1986 he was deputy secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee. From 1986 to 1991, he served concurrently as vice mayor of Shanghai, and he served as mayor of Shanghai concurrently from 1991 to 1994. Between 1994 and 1995 he served as member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and Shanghai mayor.