Wu Po

1913

China

With the formation of the central government in the fall of 1949, Wu was assigned to the Ministry of Finance and has remained in the ministry ever since, except for a one-year gap in 1960-61. He has thus served under ministers Po I-po, Teng Hsiao-p'ing, and Li Hsien-nien, three of the most senior members of the Party hierarchy. Wu’s first assignment was as director of the ministry’s Staff Office, a post he held from December 1949 until he was promoted to viceminister in 1952. As such, he presented a report at a December 15, 1950, meeting of the Government Administration Council on a series of tax regulations, which were subsequently adopted. Wu was also a participant in the famous hree anti-movement of the early 1950's to root out the three “evils” of corruption, waste, and bureaucratism. A New China News Agency report of February 1, 1952, stated that he had represented the Ministry of Finance in a major corruption case which came before the Supreme People’s Court. In August 1952 Wu was promoted from head of the Finance Ministry’s Staff Office to the post of vice-minister. Since then Wu has made numerous reports before top governmental bodies, and without exception they have dealt with tax matters. Five important reports serve as examples: amendments to the tax system and measures governing the circulation tax on merchandise, delivered at the 164th GAC meeting on December 26, 1952, regulations governing taxes on cultural events, at the 25th State Council meeting on March 9, 1956, regulations concerning the 1958 national construction bonds, to the 83rd meeting of the NPC Standing Committee on November 6, 1957, report on agricultural taxes, before the 96th NPC Standing Committee meeting on June 3, 1958 and reports on rules for financial administration in national autonomous (minority) areas, on the improvement of the administration of revenue receipts, and on the cessation of the issuance of national economic construction bonds from 1959, delivered to the 97th NPC Standing Committee meeting on June 5, 1958. Wu also attended a national conference of directors of tax bureaus where he delivered the summary speech at the close of the two-week meeting on May 31, 1959. Though Wu has specialized in domestic financial matters, he has also played a role in international financial negotiations, particularly with the North Koreans. He participated in the negotiations which led to the signing on May 20, 1954, of two agreements: the Sino-Korean Agreement on the Rate of Exchange between the National Currencies, and the Sino-Korean Protocol on Currency Exchange along the Border between the Two Countries. In addition, Wu was named in May 1957 to the Board of Supervisors of the Bank of China, a post he presumably continues to hold. The Bank of China is the institution which manages the foreign business of the People’s Bank of China and is subordinate to the People's Bank in the government structure. In September 1960, Wu was identified as a deputy director of the Peopled Bank of China. However, it was not until three months later that he was officially appointed to the post, at which time he was also removed as vice-minister of Finance. He remained with the bank for just one year, and then in December 1961 he reassumed his old position in the Finance Ministry. There are no obvious reasons for this one- year transfer, but it is noteworthy that it coincided with the worst economic difficulties in the wake of the disastrous Great Leap Forward movement. A former employee of the Finance Ministry in the 1950’s has attested to Wu’s importance in the ministry. Described as a quiet man who is diligent in his work, Wu was regarded as the most important man in the day-to-day management of the ministry, excepting only his colleague, Jung Tzu-ho. Minister Li Hsien-nien was (and is) a far more important political figure than either Wu or Jung, but because of his numerous other policy-level positions, Li has been forced to spend much of his time away from the Finance Ministry. The former ministry employee also asserted that Wu is a member of the ministry’s CCP Committee and that in the middle 1950’s he played a leading role in tax reforms which were adopted then. Although not a deputy to the First or Second NPC, Wu was elected to the Third as a deputy from Anhwei, and when the first session was held in December 1964-January 1965, he was named to the Motions Examination Committee, the ad hoc body which passes preliminary judgment on legislation before the Congress.

Wu Po

Edit Profile

CCP member vice-Minister

Background

Nothing is known about his background.

Education

Wu Po was educated locally.

Career

With the formation of the central government in the fall of 1949, Wu was assigned to the Ministry of Finance and has remained in the ministry ever since, except for a one-year gap in 1960-61. He has thus served under ministers Po I-po, Teng Hsiao-p'ing, and Li Hsien-nien, three of the most senior members of the Party hierarchy. Wu’s first assignment was as director of the ministry’s Staff Office, a post he held from December 1949 until he was promoted to viceminister in 1952. As such, he presented a report at a December 15, 1950, meeting of the Government Administration Council on a series of tax regulations, which were subsequently adopted. Wu was also a participant in the famous hree anti-movement of the early 1950's to root out the three “evils” of corruption, waste, and bureaucratism. A New China News Agency report of February 1, 1952, stated that he had represented the Ministry of Finance in a major corruption case which came before the Supreme People’s Court.

In August 1952 Wu was promoted from head of the Finance Ministry’s Staff Office to the post of vice-minister. Since then Wu has made numerous reports before top governmental bodies, and without exception they have dealt with tax matters. Five important reports serve as examples: amendments to the tax system and measures governing the circulation tax on merchandise, delivered at the 164th GAC meeting on December 26, 1952, regulations governing taxes on cultural events, at the 25th State Council meeting on March 9, 1956, regulations concerning the 1958 national construction bonds, to the 83rd meeting of the NPC Standing Committee on November 6, 1957, report on agricultural taxes, before the 96th NPC Standing Committee meeting on June 3, 1958 and reports on rules for financial administration in national autonomous (minority) areas, on the improvement of the administration of revenue receipts, and on the cessation of the issuance of national economic construction bonds from 1959, delivered to the 97th NPC Standing Committee meeting on June 5, 1958. Wu also attended a national conference of directors of tax bureaus where he delivered the summary speech at the close of the two-week meeting on May 31, 1959.

Though Wu has specialized in domestic financial matters, he has also played a role in international financial negotiations, particularly with the North Koreans. He participated in the negotiations which led to the signing on May 20, 1954, of two agreements: the Sino-Korean Agreement on the Rate of Exchange between the National Currencies, and the Sino-Korean Protocol on Currency Exchange along the Border between the Two Countries. In addition, Wu was named in May 1957 to the Board of Supervisors of the Bank of China, a post he presumably continues to hold. The Bank of China is the institution which manages the foreign business of the People’s Bank of China and is subordinate to the People's Bank in the government structure.

In September 1960, Wu was identified as a deputy director of the Peopled Bank of China. However, it was not until three months later that he was officially appointed to the post, at which time he was also removed as vice-minister of Finance. He remained with the bank for just one year, and then in December 1961 he reassumed his old position in the Finance Ministry. There are no obvious reasons for this one- year transfer, but it is noteworthy that it coincided with the worst economic difficulties in the wake of the disastrous Great Leap Forward movement.

A former employee of the Finance Ministry in the 1950’s has attested to Wu’s importance in the ministry. Described as a quiet man who is diligent in his work, Wu was regarded as the most important man in the day-to-day management of the ministry, excepting only his colleague, Jung Tzu-ho. Minister Li Hsien-nien was (and is) a far more important political figure than either Wu or Jung, but because of his numerous other policy-level positions, Li has been forced to spend much of his time away from the Finance Ministry. The former ministry employee also asserted that Wu is a member of the ministry’s CCP Committee and that in the middle 1950’s he played a leading role in tax reforms which were adopted then.

Although not a deputy to the First or Second NPC, Wu was elected to the Third as a deputy from Anhwei, and when the first session was held in December 1964-January 1965, he was named to the Motions Examination Committee, the ad hoc body which passes preliminary judgment on legislation before the Congress.

Politics

Wu had probably gone to Communist-held areas by 1948 when he joined the North China People's Government (NCPG) in 1948. This was formed in August 1948 as the Communists were conquering north China, and it was eventually absorbed by the central government in October 1949, shortly after the establishment of the latter in Peking. Wu served in the NCPG as deputy director of the Finance Department under Jung Tzu-ho, another long-time finance specialist.

Main Photo

School period

College/University

Career

Achievements

Membership

Awards

Other Photos

Connections

Connections

Wu Po

Background

Education

Career

Politics

Born

Nationality

Ethnicity

Political Party

Career

1952

September, 1960

1964