Wu Yi, female, senior engineer, was born in November 1938 and a native of Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. Wu joined the CPC in April 196 and several months later started her career after graduation from Beijing petroleum Institute as an oil refinery major. She acquired her higher education in the Department of national Defense at the Northwest China Engineering Institute and Beijing Petroleum Institute from 1956 to 1962.

Between 1962 and 1965, she worked as technician at the Lanzhou Oil Refinery and then clerk of the plant's political department. In the ensuing three years, she served as technician in the Ministry of Petroleum Industry's Department of Production Technology. Between 1967 and 1983, she held the posts of technician, deputy section head, section head, deputy chief engineer, and deputy manager at Beijing Dongfanghong Oil Refinery. She became deputy manager and Party secretary of Beijing Yanshan Petrochemical Corp. In 1983-88. Then she served as vice-mayor of Beijing in 1988-91. Between 1991 and 1993, she served as vice-minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation, and deputy secretary of its Party group. After 1993, she was minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation, and secretary of its Party group.

Wu was alternate member of the 13th CPC Central Committee and member of the 14th Central Committee.