Zhang Baifa

Zhang Baifa (; 1935 – 5 July 2019) was a Chinese politician and a construction worker by trade. He became a protégé of Wan Li and rose to the position of Vice Mayor and Executive Vice Mayor of Beijing, serving from 1983 to 1995. Zhang was in charge of major construction projects in Beijing, including those in preparation for the 1990 Asian Games, and led the city's unsuccessful bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Early life and career in construction Zhang was born in 1935 in Xianghe County, Hebei, Republic of China. In 1948, he moved with his father, a weaver, to Beijing. Owing to poverty, he was unable to attend school and worked as his father's assistant.

With the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Beijing regained its status as the capital of China, and the new Communist government initiated a large number of construction projects. In 1951, Zhang became an apprentice rebar worker at the age of 16. He was elected a delegate to the 4th National People's Congress, He Zhenliang, head of the Chinese Olympic Committee, denied that Zhang's remarks represented official Chinese policy.

Later life and death Zhang and his wife Wang Shulan had a son and a daughter. By coincidence, his wife shared the same name and birthdate as the wife of his friend and colleague Li Ruihuan, who rose to the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

Zhang died in Beijing on 5 July 2019, at the age of 84.