Liu Yongqing

Liu Yongqing (simplified Chinese: 刘永清; traditional Chinese: 劉永清; pinyin: Liú Yǒngqīng) is the wife of Hu Jintao, the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China. Liu Yongqing has, as is the Chinese custom, retained her maiden name. Traditionally, Liu Yongqing’s role would be primarily domestic but this is fast changing as Chinese leaders travel abroad more. Liu often accompanies her husband on his official trips to foreign countries and has made personal appearances at charities and cultural institutions all over the world.

Biography

Liu Yonqing was born in 1940. She met her husband at Tsinghua University, in Beijing. Later she went on to work for Beijing city planning committee.

As with her husband, Liu's life and background are not widely known among observers abroad. She received virtually no public attention before Hu Jintao’s Presidency. Hu himself has preferred to stay out of the public eye and has tended to avoid publicity during his political career.^[1]

Children

Hu Jintao and Liu Yongqing have two grown children - a son named Hu Haifeng and a daughter named Hu Haiqing, both of whom were educated at the Tsinghua University. Haifeng is a businessman. Haiqing was married in 2003 to Mao Daolin at the age of 33.^[2]

References