Yang Jiechi was born in Shanghai on May 1950, and graduated from London School of Economics in 1975.

He is currently a state councilor.

1973-1975: Student at London School of Economics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

1975-1983: Staff member and then Second Secretary, Department of Translation and Interpretation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

1983-1987: Second Secretary, First Secretary and then Counsellor, Chinese Embassy to the United States of America.

1987-1990: Counsellor and Director, Department of Translation and Interpretation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

1990-1993: Counsellor and Director, and then Deputy Director-General, Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

1993-1995: Minister, Chinese Embassy to the United States of America.

1995-1998: Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs.

1998-2001: Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.

2001-2005: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the United States of America.

2005-2007: Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.

2007- 2013: Minister of Foreign Affairs.

He is also an alternate member of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.