View source for Huang Ju

{{Short description|Chinese politician (1938–2007)}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Huang (surname)|Huang]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Huang Ju
| native_name         = {{lang|zh-hans|{{nobold|黄菊}}}}
| image               = Huang Ju, Davos (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Huang Ju in 2005
| office              = [[Vice Premier of China]]
| premier             = [[Wen Jiabao]]
| term_start          = 17 March 2003
| term_end            = 2 June 2007
| order2              = [[Party Secretary of Shanghai]]
| term_start2         = 28 September 1994
| term_end2           = 22 October 2002
| deputy2             = [[Xu Kuangdi]] (mayor)
| predecessor2        = [[Wu Bangguo]]
| successor2          = [[Chen Liangyu]]
| office3             = [[Mayor of Shanghai]]
| term_start3         = 29 April 1991
| term_end3           = 24 February 1994
| leader3             = [[Wu Bangguo]] (party secretary)
| predecessor3        = [[Zhu Rongji]]
| successor3          = [[Xu Kuangdi]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1938|9|28|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Shanghai French Concession]], (modern-day [[Shanghai]], [[China]])
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2007|6|2|1938|9|28|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[Beijing]], [[China]]
| party               = [[Chinese Communist Party]] (1966–2007)
| spouse              = Yu Huiwen
| children            = 1 son, 1 daughter
| signature           = Signature of Huang Ju, October 8, 1993 (cropped to signature).png
| alma_mater          = [[Tsinghua University]]
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| s = 黄菊
| t = 黃菊
| p = Huáng Jú
}}
'''Huang Ju''' (28 September 1938 – 2 June 2007) was a Chinese politician and a high-ranking leader in the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP). He was one of the nine members of the [[Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Politburo Standing Committee]] of the CCP, [[China]]'s top decision making body, between 2002 until his death in 2007, and also served as the first-ranked [[vice premier of China]] beginning in 2003. He died in office before he could complete his terms on the Standing Committee and as vice premier.<ref>{{cite web
  | publisher=ChinaVitae
  | title=Huang Ju 黄菊
  | url=http://www.chinavitae.com/biography/Huang_Ju
  | access-date=27 September 2006
  | archive-date=29 October 2018
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029044915/http://www.chinavitae.com/biography/Huang_Ju
  | url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

An electrical engineer by trade, Huang was a close confidante of party leader [[Jiang Zemin]], to whom he owed his rise to power. He served as [[List of mayors of Shanghai|mayor of Shanghai]] between 1991 and 1994, then [[Party Secretary of Shanghai|Communist Party secretary]] of the metropolis between 1994 and 2002.  Huang's career in Shanghai and his family's alleged involvement in several corruption cases in the city generated controversy. After 2002, Huang emerged as one of the least popular and most partisan members of China's top leadership, and was named by observers as a "core member" of the [[Shanghai clique]].

==Early life and career==
Huang was born in [[Shanghai]] and he was the second of five children in the family. Huang spent a long time in [[Zhejiang]] when he was young. From 1944 to 1950, he studied at Zhejiang [[Jiashan]] Yishan Primary School ({{lang|zh|浙江嘉善益善小学}}) and Qidong Primary School ({{lang|zh|启东小学}}). He attended Jiashan No.2 Middle School ({{lang|zh|嘉善二中}}) and [[Jiaxing]] No.1 Middle School ({{lang|zh|嘉兴一中}}) for high school from 1950 to 1956. He attended [[Tsinghua University]] between 1956 and 1963 where he graduated in [[Electrical Engineering]]. In 1966, he joined the Chinese Communist Party.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hongfan|first=Zhao|date=5 June 2007|title=|script-title=zh:黄菊同志生平|trans-title=The Life of Comrade Huang Ju|url=http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/5825955.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604185708/http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/5825955.html|archive-date=4 June 2020|website=[[People's Daily]] |publisher=People's Daily Online|language=zh}}</ref>

Huang was employed as a technician in the foundry section of the Shanghai Artificial-board Machinery Factory ({{lang|zh|上海人造板机器厂}}) from 1963 to 1967. From 1967 to 1977, Huang worked as Technician in the power section of the Shanghai Zhonghua Metallurgical Factory ({{lang|zh|上海中华冶金厂}}), where he also served as deputy lead of the production party group. He became deputy director of the Revolutionary Committee (during the Cultural Revolution, the highest day-to-day authority), Deputy Plant Manager, while working as an engineer, from 1977 to 1980. He was Assistant Manager of the Shanghai Petrochemical General Machinery Company ({{lang|zh|上海市石化通用机械制造公司}}) from 1980 to 1982. From 1982 to 1983 he was Deputy Commissioner of the Shanghai First Mechanical and Electrical Industry Bureau ({{lang|zh|上海市第一机电工业局}}).<ref>{{cite web
  |work=People's Daily
  |title=Comrade Wong Ju's biography
  |url=http://www.people.com.cn/GB/shizheng/252/9667/9670/20021126/874716.html
  |access-date=27 September 2006
  |archive-date=3 March 2016
  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231259/http://www.people.com.cn/GB/shizheng/252/9667/9670/20021126/874716.html
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

==Shanghai politics==
From 1983 to 1984, Huang Ju served as a standing member of the [[Provincial Party Standing Committee|Shanghai Municipal Party Committee]] and secretary of the industry affairs committee; he was the Shanghai Party Committee's secretary General from 1984 to 1985 and deputy party chief in charge of propaganda from 1985 to 1986.<ref name=weiyuan>{{cite news|title=黄菊将升为政治局常委、国务院常务副总理|url=http://www.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2002/10/200210240245.shtml|work=Duowei News|publisher=Boxun|date=24 October 2002}}</ref>

In 1987, Huang was named as a candidate for the [[mayor of Shanghai]], but received too few votes supporting his candidacy by the municipal People's Congress. [[Zhu Rongji]] was subsequently elected mayor instead. When Zhu ascended to Beijing to become Vice Premier and governor of China's central bank, Huang became mayor of Shanghai in 1991 and then the city's party chief in 1994 after [[Wu Bangguo]] became Vice Premier. Huang served as Party secretary of Shanghai until October 2002. In September 1994 he entered the [[Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party]] at the 4th Plenum of the 14th Central Committee.

Huang's rise in Shanghai politics was largely credited to the patronage of [[Jiang Zemin]], who served as the [[Party Committee Secretary|Party Committee secretary]] in Shanghai until the latter's sudden appointment to become [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|general secretary of the Communist Party]] following the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre]].  Huang was seen as one of Jiang's most trusted confidantes in Shanghai, and Jiang's elevation to become the party's top leader paved the way Huang to climb higher on the party's career ladder.<ref name=weiyuan/> Huang was said to be so thankful of Jiang's patronage that while on a working visit to New York during his term of Shanghai mayor, Huang and his entourage, immediately after leaving the airport, proceeded first thing to wine-and-dine Jiang's son [[Jiang Mianheng]].<ref name=huaxia/>

During Huang's term of party chief of Shanghai, he kept the city's party organization in line,<ref name="faithful">{{cite news
  | title = Steering Shanghai's rapid rise was pinnacle for 'faithful fighter'  |work=South China Morning Post |location=Hong Kong | page = A5 | date = 3 June 2007}}</ref> and is remembered by some as having raised the income of Shanghai residents. The [[Pudong]] New Area also saw explosive growth under Huang.<ref name="pragmatic">{{cite news | title = Citizens recall 'pragmatic cadre's' contributions
  |work=South China Morning Post |location=Hong Kong | page = A5 | date = 3 June 2007}}</ref> While Shanghai's economic growth continued during Huang Ju's time as the city's leader, most observers credit Shanghai's success to the work of [[Zhu Rongji]] and [[Xu Kuangdi]]. Among the mayors of Shanghai in the late 20th century, Huang was the least popular. During his term as Shanghai party chief, Huang often criticized mayor Xu Kuangdi, and opposed Xu's holding higher office.<ref name=mourn>{{cite news|title=黄菊过世，上海人反应很冷漠|url=http://www.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2007/06/200706030505.shtml|publisher=中央社 via Boxun|date=30 June 2007}}</ref> Because Xu was a popular figure in Shanghai, Huang's open suppression of Xu damaged his reputation among ordinary residents.  In Shanghai political circles, Huang earned a reputation as being extremely adept at crafting relationships with his superiors.<ref name=weiyuan/> However, both Huang's successor [[Chen Liangyu]] and Jiang Zemin evaluated Huang's term in Shanghai with gushing praise, stating that Huang was instrumental in contributing to Shanghai's economic growth.<ref name=weiyuan/>

===Controversies===
In May 1994, after Huang's installation as the Shanghai party chief, his wife Yu Huiwen, along with Shanghai official Chen Tiedi began a charity organization allegedly for [[money laundering]] for Huang's wife and close colleagues, who received "donations" from the business elite. Although some of this money did indeed go to charity, there was a large amount of funds unaccounted for.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chilicity.com/cgi-bin/bigate.cgi/b/x/g/http@www.chilicity.com/publishhtml/33/2008-09-28/20080928074915.html |title=《人民日報》八股文頌黃菊，《官商竊國錄》揭黃家（圖） |access-date=1 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708144344/http://www.chilicity.com/cgi-bin/bigate.cgi/b/x/g/http@www.chilicity.com/publishhtml/33/2008-09-28/20080928074915.html |archive-date=8 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was unclear what Huang's involvement was in this process, but it was clear that his power in Shanghai gave license to his family.

Huang was also believed to be implicated in the Shanghai real estate scandals involving [[Zhou Zhengyi]], one of Shanghai's business elite. Huang did little to curb monopolies in Shanghai's booming real estate sector. Public protests resulted from residents being evicted from their homes (with little or no compensation) to make way for new construction. Zhou was eventually charged with multiple counts of fraud, but only sentenced to three years in prison, which analysts speculated was due to Huang exerting his influence on the municipal courts.<ref name=huaxia>{{cite news|title=黄菊之死 - 《华夏报》|url=http://www.boxun.com/news/gb/pubvp/2013/06/201306111059.shtml#.VaFFRflViko|work=Huaxiabao|publisher=Boxun|date=11 June 2013}}</ref>
In addition, Huang's wife, Yu Huiwen, controlled the Shanghai pension fund, and was linked to [[Zhang Rongkun]], who was at the centre of allegations of misappropriation of the fund's money.<ref name="faithful"/> Huang's brother, who was made a high-ranking executive of a [[Pudong]] development firm, also moved funds for personal use.<ref>[http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/2007_9_11_11_12_46_394.html Duowei: Huang's wife started a "officials' wives' club"]</ref>

==Ascension to Beijing==
Huang's patron, general secretary Jiang Zemin, was due to leave his party leadership post in 2002, handing the reins of power to a [[Hu–Wen Administration|new generation]] of leaders led by [[Hu Jintao]].  In the lead-up to the [[16th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party|16th Party Congress]] held in the autumn of 2002, Jiang worked to promote some of his former associates in Shanghai to the [[Politburo Standing Committee]], the ''de facto'' top decision making body of the country. Initially Huang was said to have been offered to replace [[Ding Guangen]] to take over the central propaganda department, but Huang declined. Jiang also reportedly proposed that Huang lead the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]], which entailed a seat on the Standing Committee. Eventually, it was settled that Huang would earn a seat on the Standing Committee as first-ranking vice premier assisting Wen Jiabao, replacing outgoing vice premier [[Li Lanqing]].<ref name=weiyuan/>

Huang's appointment was controversial, not only because of his poor reputation in Shanghai, but also because he was seen as highly partisan, and that he was tapped for promotion solely due to his coziness with Jiang and not as a result of tangible achievements.<ref name=huaxia/> [[Zhu Rongji]], then the outgoing premier and who had worked with Huang in Shanghai, was reportedly opposed to Huang's elevation.<ref name=weiyuan/> Back in 1997, Huang's election to the 15th Central Committee received only 1,455 votes in favour, out of 2,074 votes cast,<ref name=newgen>{{cite book|last1=Li|first1=Cheng|title=China's Leaders: The New Generation|url=https://archive.org/details/chinasleadersnew00lich|url-access=registration|date=2001|publisher=Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Inc.|page=[https://archive.org/details/chinasleadersnew00lich/page/167 167]}}</ref> and some 300 votes against, unusually low in Chinese national politics. This meant that nearly one third of party delegates did not even approve of Huang's central committee membership. In 2002, of the full members of the Central Committee, Huang again received the lowest number of votes of anyone elected, meaning there was a real possibility that Huang would not have entered the Standing Committee at all, since Standing Committee members must be selected from the Central Committee.<ref>{{cite news
  |work=BBC News | date= 20 November 2006   | title = Exposé on 17th National Party Congress – democracy within the Party | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_6160000/newsid_6166600/6166646.stm  | access-date =11 May 2007| first=Xin | last=¸Gao}}</ref>

Nevertheless, on 15 November 2002, Huang was officially named a member of the 9-man Politburo Standing Committee, joining other Jiang associates such as [[Jia Qinglin]], [[Zeng Qinghong]], and [[Li Changchun]] on the supreme body. In March 2003, he was confirmed by the [[National People's Congress]] as vice premier of the State Council, ranking first.

His position as first vice premier was considered a [[figurehead]] role with little power, especially when compared to previous first vice premiers [[Yao Yilin]], [[Zhu Rongji]] and [[Li Lanqing]]. His official portfolios were to oversee finance and banking. Huang served as a member of the [[Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs]].

Huang's political fate seemed to hang in the balance when his close former colleague [[Chen Liangyu]] was removed from the Politburo and put under investigation for corruption as part of the [[Shanghai pension scandal]] in 2006. By this time, Huang was already ill and cut back on public appearances. There was speculation that Huang would be implicated in the scandal.<ref name=shift>"Balance of power to shift with Huang's fate", Page A4, [[South China Morning Post]], 10 May 2007</ref>

==Illness==
In February 2006, the ''[[South China Morning Post]]'' reported that Huang was seriously ill, and was expected to step down. Although some government officials said he had [[pancreatic cancer]], the party did not, at the time, disclose the nature of his condition.<ref>Edward Cody, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/01/AR2007060102381.html?hpid=sec-world Ailing Chinese Vice Premier And Jiang Ally Dies in Beijing], [[Washington Post]] Foreign Service, 2 June 2007; Page A10</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR2006030201887.html China Attributes Vice Premier's Absence to Unidentified Illness], Philip P. Pan</ref>
On 17 March, sources reported he was near death.<ref>[http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2006/03/200603180914.shtml Huang Ju's pancreatic cancer advanced, enters Hospital 301], Boxun.com, 18 March 2006 {{in lang|zh}}</ref> Huang attended a Science and Technology forum in Beijing on 5 June, temporarily reducing speculation that he was soon going to die.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185116/http://www.thanhniennews.com/worlds/?catid=9&newsid=16215 China vice-premier back in public eye after illness], Reuters, Thanh Nien News, 5 June 2006</ref>

After giving a keynote speech at the State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) executives' conference on 5 January 2007, he was notably absent at the Central Conference on Financial Affairs later on that month.<ref name=asiatimes>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070202030832/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/IA27Ad01.html Shanghai clique takes another hit] Poon Siu-to, [[Asia Times]], 27 January 2007</ref> Huang offered his condolences to late party elder [[Bo Yibo]] when Bo died, but did not attend the funeral as would have been expected of a Standing Committee member. Huang's absence prompted speculation that his critical condition was preventing him from carrying out his official duties.<ref name="denies">{{cite news
  | title = Beijing denies reports ailing leader is dead
  |work=South China Morning Post |location=Hong Kong | page = 1 | date = 10 May 2007}}</ref> Hong Kong media speculated that Huang was undergoing medical treatment in Shanghai. Huang appeared, looking frail,<ref name=shift/> during the [[2007 National People's Congress|National People's Congress]] in March 2007. The government denied Huang's request to resign effective March 2007, but thereafter his position became entirely ceremonial. He handed over his role of oversight of the Financial Affairs portfolio to premier [[Wen Jiabao]] in January.<ref name=asiatimes/> Huang disappeared from public view in March 2007.<ref>[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/zhuanti/Zhuanti_424.html News reports of Huang Ju], People's Daily, Accessed 15 May 2007</ref> Huang left Shanghai in April and was admitted to the [[301 Military Hospital]] in Beijing, after which his health situation deteriorated.<ref name="denies"/>

Some media sources reported Huang's death as early as May, though the initial reports turned out to be false. To reduce speculation, by 9 May, the authorities closed off the south-west wing of the 301 Military Hospital, and directed that all news related to Huang on television and on the internet follow official releases from official state news agency [[Xinhua News Agency|Xinhua]].<ref>"Title", Page, [[Ming Pao]], 10 May 2007 {{in lang|zh}}</ref><!-- from chinese article -->
<ref name=times1>{{cite news | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article1765490.ece | archive-url = https://archive.today/20080725131112/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article1765490.ece | url-status = dead | archive-date = 25 July 2008 |location=London |work=The Times | first=Jane | last=MacArtney | title=China denies death of vicepremier | date=9 May 2007}}</ref> False reports of Huang's death surfaced twice thereafter; some suggest his illness was used as an opportunity by internet users to vent about social and political problems.<ref name="Xinhua1">{{cite news
  | title = Xinhua breaks with tradition to be the first to report leader's death
  |work=South China Morning Post |location=Hong Kong | page = A5 | date = 3 June 2007}}</ref> Despite his being incapacitated, Huang was elected as one of Shanghai's local party representatives to the Party's 17th Party Congress on 29 May.<ref name="long illness">{{cite news
  | title = Long illness claims top party leader
  |work=South China Morning Post |location=Hong Kong | page = A1 | date = 3 June 2007}}</ref>

== Death ==
On 2 June 2007, Huang Ju died in Beijing. In unprecedented fashion, the English and Chinese versions of his obituary were relayed simultaneously to the country and the world only a few hours after his death, at around 6:30&nbsp;am Beijing time.<ref name="Xinhua1"/> Official Chinese news agency ''[[Xinhua News Agency|Xinhua]]'' reported that Huang had died at 2:03&nbsp;am, of an unnamed illness, at age 68.<ref name=Xinhua>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-06/02/content_6187239.htm "Urgent: Chinese Vice-Premier Huang Ju dies of illness in Beijing"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070604153051/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-06/02/content_6187239.htm |date=4 June 2007 }}, ''[[Xinhua]]'', 2 June 2007</ref> His death was the top story on the national news program ''[[Xinwen Lianbo]]'', where [[news anchor]]s in black suits read off a dry and sober 155-word news item.<ref name="Xinhua1"/> The screen simply displayed "Comrade Huang Ju has passed away."

In his concise official obituary, he was hailed as a "long-tested and faithful Communist fighter and an outstanding leader of the party and the state."<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/world/asia/02huang.html?hp | work=The New York Times | first=Jim | last=Yardley | title=Huang Ju, Powerful Chinese Official, Dies at 68 | date=2 June 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Huang Ju tongzhi yinbing yizhi wuxiao zai Jing shishi |script-title=zh:黄菊同志因病医治无效在京逝世 |trans-title=Comrade Huang Ju died in Beijing because treatment of illness was to no avail |url=http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64093/64094/5812694.html |publisher={{lang|zh|中国共产党新闻}} |agency=[[Xinhua News Agency]] |access-date=2018-09-17 |date=2007-06-02 |language=zh |quote={{lang|zh|久经考验的忠诚的共产主义战士，党和国家的卓越领导人}} |archive-date=17 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917215328/http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64093/64094/5812694.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> This posthumous designation was used for most of Communist China's high-ranking leaders. The official state media called Huang an "important member of the Central Committee Leadership under General Secretary [[Hu Jintao]] who dedicated his heart to the development of the Party and the State, and offered all of his intellectual strength and power for the cause." Former Party general secretary [[Jiang Zemin]], in official footage, was in tears as he shook the hands of Huang's widow Yu Huiwen.<ref>[http://www3.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Forums/BackStage/2007_6_5_21_14_48_497.html Former leader Jiang visibly shaken at Huang Ju's funeral], Duowei News, 6 June 2007 {{in lang|zh}}</ref>

Websites reporting Huang Ju's death forbade discussions, and internet forums censored all negative comments and speculation about Huang Ju's political life.<ref name="Xinhua1"/> In Shanghai, where Huang was one of the city's former Mayors, reception of his death was cold.<ref>[http://www7.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/2007_6_2_9_53_17_942.html Huang Ju dies, Shanghai public has little sympathy], Duowei News, 2 June 2007 {{in lang|zh}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=December 2022}} Among the mayors of Shanghai, Huang received the lowest ratings, while his contemporaries, [[Zhu Rongji]] and [[Xu Kuangdi]], were more popular. There were no public displays of mourning in Shanghai.<ref name=Xinhua1/>

Huang was the first [[Politburo Standing Committee|PSC]] member to die in office since [[Mao Zedong|Chairman Mao]] himself in September 1976, some thirty years earlier, and the highest-ranking communist leader to die in office since economic reforms began in 1978. He was the only first vice premier ever to die in office.<ref name="long illness"/>

===Funeral===
Huang's funeral was notable as one of the highest-ranking ceremonies for the death of any Communist leader since [[Deng Xiaoping]]'s state funeral in 1997. It was the top story on [[CCTV]]'s ''[[Xinwen Lianbo]]'' national news broadcast at 7&nbsp;pm on 5 June 2007, and occupied well over ten minutes of broadcast time in the half-hour program. Despite its priority and importance, however, Huang's funeral was noticeably simpler than that of previous leaders. The official "funeral" (''zhuidaohui''; {{lang|zh-cn|追悼会}}) designation for deceased leaders was not used; rather, it was termed a "send-off ceremony" (''gaobie yishi''; {{lang|zh-cn|告别仪式}}). Analysts suggested that Huang's funeral may open the precedent for simple funerals for other deceased leaders.<ref>[http://www3.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Forums/BackStage/2007_6_5_19_13_52_706.html Huang Ju funeral simple affair], Duowei News, 6 June 2007 {{in lang|zh}}</ref> In a break with normally-strict rules of [[Orders of precedence in the People's Republic of China|protocol]], the funeral news coverage began with [[Zeng Qinghong]] standing at the hospital awaiting Huang Ju's funeral procession, and not with Hu Jintao. All high-ranking Chinese leaders, including general secretary and president [[Hu Jintao]], premier [[Wen Jiabao]], former paramount leader and party leader [[Jiang Zemin]], and former premier [[Zhu Rongji]], attended the ceremony.

===Political impact===
Huang's death opened a vacancy on the Politburo Standing Committee, which signaled an opportunity for the consolidation of [[Hu Jintao]]'s power during the [[17th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party|17th Party Congress]] held in October 2007.<ref name=times1/> However, most observers believed Huang's death would have a limited effect on Chinese politics, because Huang was absent from public life for over a year prior to his death. Huang's seat on the PSC was left vacant until a newly minted PSC at 17th Party Congress, which saw [[Li Keqiang]] being slated to take over for the position of first-ranked vice premier; in the interim, Wu Yi took over some of Huang's former responsibilities at the State Council as its vice premier.

Huang's death was nevertheless seen as a major political blow to the [[Shanghai Clique]], a loose grouping of senior officials with connections to Shanghai and rose to prominence in the footsteps of the political career of party leader [[Jiang Zemin]]. The Shanghai Clique reportedly often found themselves at odds with those officials more closely aligned with [[Hu Jintao]].<ref name=asiatimes/> Huang, along with disgraced Shanghai Party secretary [[Chen Liangyu]], who was convicted and sent to prison on charges of fraud and corruption, were both seen as staunch political opponents of Hu and premier Wen Jiabao. Some commentators suggested that the timing of Huang's death conveniently absolved himself of any responsibility in the [[Shanghai pension scandal]] and spared him and his family from political disgrace, thus avoiding any open splits in the Party's top leadership.<ref name=xu>{{cite news|title=徐才厚亮相已白头 处理或参照黄菊模式|url=http://china.dwnews.com/news/2014-01-21/59380650.html|date=21 January 2014|work=Duowei News}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Huang Ju was officially eulogized with some of the highest honours given to deceased Communist Party officials, being called "an outstanding member of the Communist Party of China, a long-tested faithful fighter of the Communist cause, and an extraordinary leader of the Party and State." Huang's tenure in Shanghai was marked with high levels of economic growth and a dramatic transformation of the city's skyline and urban infrastructure. Some Shanghai residents and political commentators suggest that Huang contributed significantly to the development of the Pudong area.

Huang faced significant criticism as well. Chinese-language media speculated that Huang provided "political shelter" for real estate mogul [[Zhou Zhengyi]], allowing the latter a free hand in the forced eviction of local residents to pave way for his company's construction projects.<ref name=willylam>{{cite news|last1=Lam|first1=Willy|title=The Death of Huang Ju: Filling the Chinese Leadership Vacuum|url=http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4226/|publisher=The Jamestown Foundation|date=13 June 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908015138/http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4226%2F|archive-date=8 September 2014}}</ref> Zhou would eventually be sentenced to three years in prison on charges of securities fraud. The sentence, which was seen as extremely lenient by the standards of Chinese law, was allegedly due to pressure applied by Huang Ju on the city's courts. Of the 42 major construction projects in the city during Huang's tenure in Shanghai, seven was reportedly awarded to Zhou.<ref name=chen>{{cite news|last1=Chen|first1=Pokong|title=周正毅被判16年，重了还是轻了？(陈破空)|url=http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/pinglun/chenpokong/chen_pokong-20071227.html|publisher=Radio Free Asia|date=27 December 2007}}</ref> In addition, according to ''[[Weiquan]]'' lawyer [[Zheng Enchong]] and a civil group representing those affected by forced evictions, Huang continued to unduly influence the proceedings of the Zhou case by impeding its further investigation.<ref name=rfa2>{{cite news|title=郑恩宠和拆迁户联名举报黄菊|url=http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zheng-20061226.html|publisher=Radio Free Asia|date=26 December 2006}}</ref>

Huang's legacy was the subject of a photo collection book published by the Shanghai People's Press in December 2012, entitled ''Huang Ju''. The book's title was inscribed with the calligraphy of Jiang Zemin. The book contained photos of Huang from his early years to his days as vice premier. Shanghai party chief Han Zheng attended the book launch event.<ref>{{cite news|title=《黄菊》画册出版座谈会举行|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-12/24/c_124141112.htm|publisher=Xinhua News Agency}}</ref> The event signalled that Huang continued to be regarded positively in an official capacity.

==Personal==
Huang was married to Yu Huiwen ({{lang|zh|余慧文}}), who was an executive on a Shanghai Pensions board, and speculated to be involved in corruption cases in the city.

In February 1995, his daughter, Daphne Huang ({{lang|zh|黄凡}}), married James Fang ({{lang|zh|方以伟}}), the son of [[Florence Fang]] ({{lang|zh|方李邦琴}}).

==See also==
*[[Politics of China]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.chinavitae.com/biography/Huang_Ju biography @ Biography, ChinaVitae.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029044915/http://www.chinavitae.com/biography/Huang_Ju |date=29 October 2018 }}
* [http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2007-06-05/204313159209.shtml Huang Ju's official biography] {{in lang|zh}}
* [http://www7.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Mainland/2007_6_2_15_44_9_353.html Huang Ju's legacy in Shanghai] {{in lang|zh}}

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{{s-bef|before=[[Zeng Qinghong]]<br /><small>Vice President</small>}}
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{{16th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party}}
{{15th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party}}
{{14th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party}}
{{First Vice Premiers of the People's Republic of China}}
{{Vice Premiers of the People's Republic of China}}
{{Shanghai leaders}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Huang, Ju}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
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[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in China]]
[[Category:Chinese Communist Party politicians from Zhejiang]]
[[Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in China]]
[[Category:Delegates to the 16th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party]]
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[[Category:Delegates to the 10th National People's Congress]]
[[Category:First vice premiers of the People's Republic of China]]
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[[Category:Secretaries of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party]]
[[Category:Tsinghua University alumni]]
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