[4] Zhang was credited with bringing bus rapid transit (BRT) to Urumqi's major thoroughfares, the construction of the Xinjiang International Convention Centre, and the resumption of internet connections in the region following a one-year long ban in the aftermath of the July 2009 Ürümqi riots.
His first public appearance as part of the Party Building group was a visit to the Communist revolutionary heartland of Yan'an.
However, other observers have interpreted the move more pessimistically, noting that it in fact mirrors Wang Lequan's own departure from Xinjiang six years earlier when he was given a seemingly token role as a deputy to then security-tsar Zhou Yongkang.
[8] On 7 December 2020, pursuant to Executive Order 13936, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on all 14 Vice Chairpersons of the NPC, including Zhang, for "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly.
"[9] Zhang is known for his use of a popular microblog service supported by Tencent, which spiked in usage during the 2011 National People's Congress.