Ni Zhifu

Ni Zhifu
倪志福
Ni Zhifu operating the drill he invented (1959)
Chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions
In office October 1978 – October 1993
Preceded by	Liu Ningyi
Succeeded by	Wei Jianxing
Communist Party Chief of Tianjin
In office October 1984 – August 1987
Preceded by	Chen Weida
Succeeded by	Li Ruihuan
Personal details
Born	May 1933 Shanghai, China
Died	24 April 2013 (aged 79) Beijing
Political party	Communist Party of China

Ni Zhifu (Chinese: 倪志福; Wade–Giles: Ni Chih-fu; May 1933 – 24 April 2013) was a Chinese engineer, inventor, and high-ranking politician. When he worked as a technician in the 1950s, he invented the "Ni Zhifu drill" which earned him a patent and the honour of "model worker". During the Cultural Revolution, he was elevated to leadership positions in the municipal government of Beijing and became an alternate member of the Politburo. He was not close to the Gang of Four, and for that reason his career continued to rise when the Gang fell at the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976. He became a full member of the Politburo, and served as Deputy Communist Party Chief of Shanghai municipality, Chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Party Chief of Tianjin municipality, and Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress.

Ni Zhifu was born in Shanghai in May 1933, and became an apprentice at Shanghai Detai Factory in 1950. In June 1953 he was transferred to the state-owned 618 Factory (also known as Yongding Machinery Plant) in Beijing to work as a fitter. While at the factory he invented the "Ni Zhifu drill", which greatly enhanced the performance and life of drills, and for which he was later granted a patent. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1958 and was named a national "model worker" in 1959. He was promoted to deputy chief engineer of the 618 Factory in 1965, and later chief engineer.