Member of Political Bureau of 15th CPC Central Committee; vice premier of PRC State Council; chairman of Macao SAR Preparatory Committee.

Qian was reelected member of Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee in September 1997, and vice premier of PRC State Council on March 18, 1998.

Qian joined the CPC in 1942 when he studied at a secondary school in Shanghai and soon became the secretary of a Party cell. After 1945, he was a leading member in charge of the Party's underground activities in Shanghai's secondary schools.

After 1949, Qian was member of several district Party committees and secretary of several district Communist Youth League committees in Shanghai. In 1953, Qian did research work at the General Office of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League. Qian's diplomatic career started in the 1950s. In 1954, he studied at the Central Communist Youth League School of the Soviet Union.

After leaving the school in 1955, he worked in the Chinese Embassy in Moscow, serving successively as second secretary, deputy section chief in charge of Chinese students studying in the Soviet Union, and director of the Research Office.

In 1963, Qian returned home and worked in the Ministry of Higher Education as section chief in charge of Chinese students studying abroad and then deputy director of the Department of External Relations.

In 1972, Qian was councilor in the Chinese Embassy in Moscow. Later, he became the Chinese ambassador to Guinea.

Qian has had a close relationship with the press. Early in his career, he worked at Shanghai's Ta Kung Pao. While serving as director of the Information Department of the Foreign Ministry from 1977 to 1982, he proposed establishing a spokesman system and became the first spokesman of the Ministry.

In 1982, Qian was appointed vice minister of Foreign Affairs and deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry.

When political consultations between China and the Soviet Union started in October that year, Qian was empowered to negotiate with the Soviet Union as the Special Envoy of the Chinese Government. When negotiations on borders between China and the Soviet Union resumed in 1987, Qian headed the Chinese delegation.

Afterwards, Qian was in charge of the United Nations affairs. He speaks English and Russian and is known as an experienced negotiator.

From 1988-1998, he served as minister of Foreign Affairs and secretary of CPC Party Committee of the Ministry.

He was appointed State Councilor in 1991.

In 1992, he was elected member of Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee.

He has been vice premier of State Council since 1993.

In 1995, Qian was appointed chairman of the Preparatory Committee of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

He was alternate member of 12th CPC Central Committee, member of 12th to 15th CPC Central Committees, member of Political Bureau of 14th and 15th CPC Central Committee.

He was elected deputy to 8th and 9th NPC.

He was chairman of Macao SAR Preparatory Committee in April, 1998-1999.

In 1999, he attended the Macao handover ceremony as a member of Chinese Government Delegation.

Qian married Zhou Hanqiong in 1952. They have two children. Their daughter obtained Master's degree in environmental protection after one-year study in Britain. Their son graduated from the People's University of China as a Chinese classical literature major and then gained a Master's degree.