Yao Wei was born the day Japan invaded China's three northeastern provinces. After studying at the Peking Sacred Heart School, the Peking American School and the St. Louis College of Tientsin, the civil war in China was at the final stage. He joined the Chinese revolution and when the People's Republic was founded, studied at the North China Revolutionary Academy and for a brief period at the Foreign Languages Institute. Mr. Wei served in the Army in Korea all through the war as a junior officer at headquarters. After demobilization, he joined the staff of the Foreign Ministry, then taught English at the Hebei Teachers College, and from the early 1960's was on the staff of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and finally returned to the Foreign Ministry in February 1978. Mr. Wei was most recently the Chief of the Press Division of the Foreign Ministry and accompanied Vice Premier Deng and Premier Hua on their trips to the United States, Japan and Western Europe.