Liu Yandong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liu Yandong
刘延东
Liu in 2016
Vice Premier of China
In office March 16, 2013 – March 19, 2018 Serving with Zhang Gaoli, Wang Yang, Ma Kai
Premier	Li Keqiang
State Councilor of China
In office March 17, 2008 – March 16, 2013 Serving with Liang Guanglie, Ma Kai, Meng Jianzhu, Dai Bingguo
Premier	Wen Jiabao
Head of the United Front Work Department
In office December 5, 2002 – December 2, 2007
General Secretary	Hu Jintao
Preceded by	Wang Zhaoguo
Succeeded by	Du Qinglin
Personal details
Born	November 1945 (age 79) Nantong County, Jiangsu
Nationality	Chinese
Political party	Chinese Communist Party
Alma mater	Tsinghua University
Signature

Liu Yandong with the President of Israel Reuven Rivlin in March 2016.

Liu Yandong (born November 1945) is a Chinese politician who is now retired. She was a very important leader in China's government. She served as a Vice Premier of China, which is like a top government minister. She was also a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, a powerful group of leaders, from 2007 to 2017.

Liu Yandong also worked as a State Councilor from 2007 to 2012. Before that, she was in charge of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party from 2002 to 2007. She studied at Tsinghua University, a famous university in China. She was known for working closely with Hu Jintao, another important leader who also went to Tsinghua University.

After another female leader, Wu Yi, retired, Liu Yandong became the highest-ranked woman in Chinese politics. She was one of only three women to ever be part of the Politburo.

Biography

Early Life and Education

Liu Yandong was born in November 1945 in Nantong County, Jiangsu province, in China. Her father, Liu Ruilong, was an early leader in the Communist Party. Because of her father's background, some people called her a "princeling," which means someone whose parents were important revolutionary leaders.

In 1964, Liu Yandong started studying chemistry at the famous Tsinghua University. She graduated in 1970. While she was at college, she also worked as a part-time political instructor.

Starting Her Career in Government

After finishing university, Liu Yandong began working at a chemical factory in Tangshan, an industrial city. In 1980, she moved to Beijing to work for the Communist Party. The next year, in 1981, she became a deputy Party Secretary in Chaoyang District.

In 1982, Liu Yandong started working for the Communist Youth League. This is an organization for young people who support the Communist Party. She worked there for nine years and met other future leaders like Hu Jintao. During this time, she was also the Chairwoman of the All-China Youth Federation, which is a big youth organization in China.

In 1991, she joined the United Front Work Department. This department works to connect with and guide non-Communist groups and people in China, making sure they support the Communist Party's goals. While working there, she continued her studies and earned master's and doctorate degrees.

Becoming a Top Leader

From 2002 to 2007, Liu Yandong was the head of the United Front Work Department. In 2002, she also became a Vice Chair of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. This is an important advisory body in China.

Because she had been a strong supporter of Party General Secretary Hu Jintao and had risen through the Communist Youth League, she became a member of the 17th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party in 2007. At that time, she was the only woman on the Politburo and the highest-ranked female politician in China.

In 2008, she was elected as a State Councilor. She also helped organize the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.

In 2012, she was elected to the 18th Politburo. This made her the first woman since Deng Yingchao to serve two terms in a row on the Politburo. A few months later, in 2013, she was appointed as a Vice Premier in Li Keqiang Government. She was the second-highest-ranked Vice Premier and was in charge of important areas like health, education, and sports. Since 2013, Liu Yandong has led the group working on health care reform in China. She retired from politics in 2018.

Personal Life

Liu Yandong is married. In 2009, Stony Brook University in the United States gave her an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

See also

In Spanish: Liu Yandong para niños

• Tsinghua clique