Gao Yan (politician, born 1958)

Gao Yan (Chinese: 高燕; born November 1958) is a Chinese politician who served as Chairwoman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) from 2018 to 2022. She is a member of the Chinese Communist Party and a former Vice Minister of Commerce. Gao was also a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and served on its Foreign Affairs Committee.^[1]

Gao Yan was born in November 1958 in Beijing. She began working in March 1977 and joined the Chinese Communist Party in April 1985. She graduated from Renmin University of China in 1982.^[2] Gao began her career in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), where she held several posts including Deputy Division Director and Director in the General Office. She later served as Deputy Director-General and then Director-General of the General Office of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), also acting as the Ministry's spokesperson and head of its Information Office.^[3]

In August 2003, she was appointed Vice Chairwoman and a member of the Party Leadership Group of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).^[4] During this period, she concurrently served as China's Government Representative to Expo 2005 Aichi in Japan and as a member of the Organizing Committee for Expo 2010 Shanghai. In August 2006, Gao was appointed Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region. In May 2013, she was appointed Vice Minister of Commerce and a member of the Ministry's Party Leadership Group.^[4][5]

In August 2018, Gao became Chairwoman and Party Secretary of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. She stepped down from both positions in January 2022.^[5] She has also served as a member of the 9th, 10th, and 11th Executive Committees of the All-China Women's Federation.^[6]