Gao Qiang, a native of Yanshan County in Hebei Province, was born in August 1944. He graduated from the Economics Department of Renmin University of China, majoring in international economics. He started work in 1967 and joined the Communist Party of China in July 1978. He is a senior economist.

He has successively served as vice director of Hebei Provincial Financial Department, vice director and director of the Ministry of Finance's Financial Budget Management Department, as well as ministerial assistant and vice minister.

He concurrently held the position of vice secretary-general of the State Council and director of the State Science and Education Leading Group Office between 2001-03.

He began to serve as vice minister of health in April 2003.

He was appointed minister of health on April 27, 2005.

He was appointed secretary of the leading Party members' group of the Ministry of Health and vice minister of health on June, 2007.