Long Yongtu

Mr. Long Yongtu is Secretary-General of Boao Forum for Asia elected by its Board of Directors on January 21, 2003.

Mr. Long received his BA Degree of British and American Literature in the Guizhou University in 1965 and had his post graduate study in economics at the London School of Economics from 1973 to 1974. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) in 1965 and served as a diplomat in the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations in New York from 1978 to 1980. From 1980 to 1986, he worked in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), first in New York headquarters and then in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as the Deputy Resident Representative of the UNDP Office.

After 8 years of diplomatic service abroad from 1978 to 1986, Mr. Long returned to China in 1986 and became Deputy Director-general of China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE). In January 1992, Mr. Long was appointed Director-general of Department of International Relations, MOFTEC, and Assistant Minister of the Ministry in April 1994. In February 1997, he was appointed Vice Minister and the Chief Representative for Trade Negotiations of MOFTEC.

As the Chief Negotiator for China’s resumption of GATT contracting party status and its accession to the World Trade Organization, Mr. Long dedicated over 10 years for this prolonged trade negotiation to bring China into the global trading system.

Apart from trade negotiations, Mr. Long was also in charge of the multilateral economic and trade affairs between China and the United Nations development agencies. He was fully involved in APEC affairs and attended the APEC meetings of trade ministers each year during the years from 1992 to 2001.

Mr. Long has been active in promoting regional economic cooperation. He was actively involved in creating the Regional Economic Development Cooperation Committee of the Tumen River Area in Northeast Asia and chaired the Committee’s first ministerial meeting in Beijing in April 1996.

Apart from his official duties, Mr. Long is the Dean of School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University and visiting professor of many renowned Chinese Academic Institiutions, including the Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University, Nankai University, Zhejiang University, Wuhan University, etc. He’s also the board member of Shantou University. In July, 2006, Mr. Long was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (Economics) by London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Mr. Long received a special award by the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan, Oct.2004, for his outstanding contribution to the UN partnership in China and in promoting the values of the UN. And on August 8,2005, His Majesty King Albert II of the Belgium decreed to award the Insignia of Officer in the Order of Leopold to Mr. Long for his outstanding contributions to the facilitation of regional cooperation in Asia and the promotion of Sino-European and Sino-Belgian economical and trade relations. (As of July, 2006)

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