Fang Aiqing, male, ethnic Han, is a native of Yuncheng, Shandong Province. Born in August 1956, he started his career in July 1975 and joined the CPC in January 1978. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from the Heilongjiang College of Commerce (later renamed the Harbin University of Commerce) and holds the title of Economic Engineer.

Fang worked successively as Deputy Division Director in the Department of Labor and Remuneration and Director in the Department of Social Commerce Administration of the Ministry of Commerce and the Department of Industrial Administration of the Ministry of Domestic Trade. He served as Deputy Director General of the Department of Industrial Administration and later the First Department of Industrial Administration of the Ministry of Domestic Trade from July 1995. He acted as Director General of the Department of Consumer Goods Circulation (Deputy Director General level) of the National Bureau of Domestic Trade from July 1998 and served successively as Deputy Director General of the Market Bureau of the National Economic and Trade Commission and Deputy Director General of the Department of Market Operation of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) from November 2000. In December 2003 he was appointed Director General of the Department of Market Operation and Deputy Director General of the National Cocoon and Silk Office of MOFCOM. Fang was appointed Assistant Minister and member of the CPC Leadership Group of MOFCOM in March 2008 and promoted to Vice Minister and member of the CPC Leadership Group of MOFCOM in May 2013.