Zhao Kezhi

Zhao Kezhi (; born 28 December 1953) is a Chinese retired politician who served as a State Councilor of the People's Republic of China and as the Minister and Party Committee Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, with the top police officer rank of Police Commissioner General. He is the former Party Secretary of Hebei and the Party Secretary of Guizhou, and the former Governor of Guizhou. He had also previously served as a vice governor of Shandong and Jiangsu provinces.

Career Zhao was born in Laixi, Shandong province. He entered the workforce in March 1973 as a middle school teacher in Laixi, and joined the Chinese Communist Party in January 1975. In April 1984, he became Laixi's mayor and deputy Communist Party Chief. In March 1987, he was appointed mayor and deputy party chief of nearby Jimo, and became its party chief in 1989. In December 1997, he was promoted to be the party chief of Dezhou, a prefecture-level city in Shandong. From February 2001 to March 2006, he was the vice governor of Shandong province. He was appointed as the Minister of Public Security on November 4, 2017.

In March 2018, Zhao was appointed as a State Councilor. In June 2018, he became Deputy Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

On June 24, 2022, Zhao was replaced by Wang Xiaohong as the Minister of Public Security. He retired from politics after he stepped down as State Councilor in March 2023.

Zhao is a member of the 18th and 19th Central Committees of the Chinese Communist Party.