The following is the biographical sketch of Fu Tieshan, who was just elected vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC):

Male, born in 1931, of Han nationality, a native of Qingyuan, Hebei province.

Studied at a preparatory Catholic school and from Department of Theology and Philosophy of Beijing Wensheng College in Beijing in 1941-56; served as a priest at Xishiku (Pehtang) Catholic Cathedral and bishop of Catholic Diocese of Beijing in 1956-79.

Served as bishop of Catholic Diocese of Beijing, council member of China Welfare Fund for the Handicapped; council member and vice- chairman of Chinese Association for International Understanding; and a Standing Committee member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and vice-chairman of Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association in 1979-92.

Vice-chairman and chairman of Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association; chairman of Beijing Patriotic Catholic Association; vice-chairman of 9th CPPCC Beijing Municipal Committee; bishop of Catholic Diocese of Beijing; vice-president of Chinese Association for International Understanding, vice-president of the Beijing Branch of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in 1992-98 and; Chairman of Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, chairman of Beijing Patriotic Catholic Association, and bishop of Catholic Diocese of Beijing, vice-president of Chinese Association for International Understanding and vice-chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) since 1998.

Standing Committee member of the 8th and 9 National People's Congress (NPC), and member of Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the NPC, of 9th NPC and a Standing Committee member of 6th and 7th CPPCC National Committees.

Author of Chinese-English Glossary of Everyday Catholic Terms.

(xinhua)