Liu Yongqing

Liu Yongqing
刘永清
Liu Yongqing
Spouse of the Paramount leader of China
In office 15 November 2002 – 15 November 2012
Preceded by	Wang Yeping
Succeeded by	Peng Liyuan
Spouse of the President of China
In office 15 March 2003 – 14 March 2013
Preceded by	Wang Yeping
Succeeded by	Peng Liyuan
Personal details
Born	3.10.1940
Spouse	Hu Jintao
Children	Hu Haifeng Hu Haiqing
Alma mater	Tsinghua University

Liu Yongqing
Traditional Chinese	劉永清
Simplified Chinese	刘永清
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liú Yǒngqīng

Liu Yongqing is the wife of Hu Jintao, the former General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (de facto paramount leader) and President of the People’s Republic of China (de jure head of state).

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, in red, with former First Lady of the United States Laura Bush at the White House in 2006.

Liu Yongqing 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.

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, at the age of 33, to Mao Daolin.