Lü Zhongmei

Lü Zhongmei (Chinese: 吕忠梅; born March 1963) is a Chinese legal scholar and politician. She currently serves as a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress and as Vice Chairperson of its Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee. She is also Vice Chairperson of the 17th Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party and Vice President of the China Law Society, as well as President of its Environmental and Resources Law Research Association.^[1]

Born in Wuhan, Hubei, in March 1963, Lü began working in July 1984 and joined the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party in June 1991. She holds a Doctor of Laws degree and is a professor specializing in civil and commercial law and environmental law.^[2]

Lü studied law at Peking University from 1980 to 1984. After graduation, she joined Zhongnan Institute of Political Science and Law (now Zhongnan University of Economics and Law) as a faculty member. During this period, she pursued postgraduate studies in environmental law at Wuhan University from 1985 to 1987, and later completed her doctoral studies in civil and commercial law at Wuhan University from 1997 to 2001.^[3]

Between 1993 and 2000, Lü served as associate professor and later professor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, where she held several administrative posts including deputy director and Director of the Research Affairs Office and Chair of the Department of Economic Law. From 2000 to 2008, she served as Chair of the Department of Economic Law and Vice Dean of the Law School at the same university. During this period, she also served as Vice President of the Hubei Higher People's Court. From 2007 to 2008, she undertook a temporary assignment at the China Three Gorges Corporation.^[4]

In 2008, Lü was appointed President of Hubei University of Economics, a position she held until 2013. From 2013 to 2015, she concurrently served as Vice Chairperson of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference while continuing as president of the university.^[5][6]

From 2015 to 2022, Lü served as Resident Vice Chairperson of the Social and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.^[7] In 2022, she was elected Vice Chairperson of the 17th Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party. In 2023, she was elected a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress and appointed Vice Chairperson of its Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee.^[8]

Lü has been a deputy to multiple sessions of the National People's Congress, including the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 14th National People's Congress. She has also served as a member and Standing Committee member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, as well as Vice Chairperson of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the CPPCC.^[9]