Liu Yongqing

Liu Yongqing
Liu with her husband
First Lady of the People's Republic of China
Incumbent
Assumed office  March 25, 2003
Preceded by	Wang Yeping
Born	1940
Spouse(s)	Hu Jintao
Children	Hu Haifeng Hu Haiqing
Residence	Beijing
Alma mater	Tsinghua University

Liu Yongqing (Chinese: 刘永清; Pinyin: Liú Yǒngqīng) is the wife of Hu Jintao, the current president of the People’s Republic of China. Liu Yongqing has, as is the Chinese custom, retained her maiden name. Traditionally, Liu Yonqing’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, two years before her husband to be. She and her husband met as classmates at one of China’s most prestigious academic centers, Tsinghua University, in Beijing. Later she went on to work for Beijing city planning committee.

As with her husband, Liu's life and background is somewhat of an enigma to Western analysers. She received virtually no political 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]

Role

The wives of high ranking Chinese political leaders are encouraged to say little or nothing to the public as one wrong word can ruin their husband’s career in this highly competitive and complicated arena of political power plays. For this reason, China's First Lady plays more the gracious host than the independent political figure as is customary, for instance, in the United States.

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. According to an old Wall Street Journal report, their daughter studied and lived in the United States for eight years. This report has never been confirmed. There have also been claims that she assumed a pseudonym during her stay in the United States and was denied a green card^{[citation needed]}. Haiqing was married in 2003 to Mao Daolin at the age of 33.^[2]

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

References

v • d • e First Ladies of the People's Republic of China Jiang Qing · Wang Guangmei · vacant (1968-1983) · Lin Jiamei  · Li Bozhao · Wang Yeping  · Liu Yongqing