[1] Wang was born in Liyang County, Jiangsu, in December 1942, during the Republic of China.
He took up the post of party secretary of Changchun which he held only from November 1992 to June 1995, although he remained a vice governor of Jilin until December 1992.
He was elevated to party secretary of Jilin in August 1998, the top political position in the province.
[2] He concurrently served as chairman of Jilin Provincial People's Congress between February 1999 and January 2008.
[3] In March 2008, he was made vice chairperson of the National People's Congress Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.