Liu Yunshan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liu Yunshan
刘云shan
First-ranked Secretary of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party
In office 15 November 2012 – 25 October 2017
General Secretary	Xi Jinping
Preceded by	Xi Jinping
Succeeded by	Wang Huning
President of the Central Party School
In office 15 January 2013 – 25 October 2017
Deputy	He Yiting
Preceded by	Xi Jinping
Succeeded by	Chen Xi
Chairman of the Central Guidance Commission on Building Spiritual Civilization
In office 18 January 2013 – 25 October 2017
Deputy	Liu Yandong Liu Qibao Guo Jinlong
Preceded by	Li Changchun
Succeeded by	Wang Huning
Head of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party
In office 24 October 2002 – 21 November 2012
Deputy	Ji Bingxuan (2003–2008) Luo Shugang (2008–2012)
General Secretary	Hu Jintao
Preceded by	Ding Guangen
Succeeded by	Liu Qibao
Personal details
Born	July 1947 (age 77) Salaqi County, Suiyuan, Republic of China
Political party	Chinese Communist Party (1971–present)
Alma mater	Jining Teachers College

Liu Yunshan (born July 1947) is a retired Chinese politician. He was a very important member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. This committee is the top group that makes big decisions for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He was part of this group from 2012 to 2017.

Liu was in charge of the party's daily work through the Secretariat. He also oversaw how the party shared its messages and ideas, and how the party was organized. On top of that, he was the President of the Central Party School, which trains party officials.

Liu started his career in Inner Mongolia. He worked as a teacher and then as a reporter for Xinhua News Agency. Later, he joined the Communist Youth League and worked in the propaganda department in Inner Mongolia. He also served as the Party Secretary for the city of Chifeng. From 2002 to 2012, Liu was the head of the Central Propaganda Department.

Many people saw Liu as a traditional and strict Communist. During his time, rules about the internet in China became stricter. There was also less open discussion and fewer independent groups. He retired from his political roles in 2017.

Early life and career beginnings

Liu Yunshan was born in July 1947 to a regular farming family in Tumed Qi in Inner Mongolia. His family originally came from Xinzhou, Shanxi province. He spent more than 20 years of his career working in Inner Mongolia.

He joined the Communist Party in 1971. At first, he worked as a teacher. Then, during the Cultural Revolution, he was sent to the countryside to do farm work. He studied part-time at the Teachers College in Jining District in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia. After that, he worked in the public relations department of the local government in Tumed Qi.

In 1975, Liu became a reporter for Xinhua News Agency. He wrote stories about the lives of farmers in Inner Mongolia. Sometimes, he even slept in yurts to understand the people he was writing about better. He was later promoted to a leadership role. After that, he worked for the Communist Youth League in Inner Mongolia.

In 1985, when he was 38, Liu became an alternate member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. This was a significant step in his career. In 1986, he became the director of public relations for the Inner Mongolia State Government. By 1987, he was the Secretary-General of the Inner Mongolia Party committee. This job involved making sure political plans were carried out.

From 1989 to 1992, Liu attended the Central Party School. There, he took courses in how to manage public affairs. In 1991, he became the Party Secretary of Chifeng, a city in eastern Inner Mongolia. He was also a member of the Inner Mongolia Party Standing Committee. This made him one of the most powerful officials in the region. From 1993 to 2002, he worked in Beijing as the deputy head of the Central Public Relations Department.

Rise to top leadership

In 2002, at the 16th Party Congress, Liu became the head of the Central Propaganda Department. At the same time, he also became a member of the Politburo. The Politburo is a group of top leaders who make important decisions. However, another top leader, Li Changchun, was in charge of the overall direction of propaganda. So, Liu was not the very top person in propaganda at that time. Liu also became a Secretary of the Secretariat, which manages the party's daily work. He remained a member of the Politburo during the 17th Party Congress as well.

During the global financial crisis, Liu spoke about how China successfully handled the crisis. He said that "Chinese-style socialism" showed great strength. He also said that the "China model" proved to be very strong and energetic.

After the 18th Party Congress in November 2012, Liu was elected to the 18th Politburo. He also joined its Standing Committee. This is the most powerful group of leaders in China. Liu took on many important roles. He became the First Secretary of the Secretariat. This role was previously held by Xi Jinping, who became the party leader.

Liu was seen as a strong supporter of party rules and a strict leader when it came to censorship. He was considered a very traditional member of the Standing Committee. Before this, the top jobs for the Secretariat and propaganda were held by different people. This showed how much power Liu had gained.

There were different ideas about why Liu was promoted to the Standing Committee. One reason was his long experience in important roles. Some experts believed he was supported by former leader Jiang Zemin. Others thought he helped balance different groups within the party. This was because he had experience with the Communist Youth League and also strongly supported traditional party ideas.

In 2013, Liu was named one of three deputy leaders of a special group. This group was called the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms. This group was in charge of making big changes across the country.

As a Standing Committee member

After the 18th Party Congress, Liu became the main official in charge of how the party was organized and who got which jobs. He also led the effort to promote the "mass line" education within the party. This education teaches party members to connect with ordinary people. During this time, Liu played a big role in promoting ideas like the China Dream and Xi Jinping Thought.

During the efforts to make sure officials followed rules, which started in 2013, Liu played a key role. He attended a special meeting in Shanxi province. This meeting happened after many top leaders in Shanxi were removed from their positions. It was very unusual for a Standing Committee member to attend such a meeting. Usually, a lower-ranking official would be sent.

In November 2013, Liu announced a new training program. This program was for officials at the Central Party School. It focused on the important speeches of General Secretary Xi Jinping. Within a year, 2,300 officials had finished this training.

In May 2015, Liu wrote an article in Study Times. In it, he said that the political culture in the Communist Party should not be too "relaxed." He stressed that party members must strictly follow party rules.

In 2015, Liu led a Chinese group on a visit to North Korea. He met with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. This was the first time such a high-ranking Chinese official met with the young North Korean leader. Liu gave Kim Jong-un a personal letter from Chinese party leader Xi Jinping. Liu and Kim greeted each other warmly in front of cameras. Liu also watched a military parade in North Korea with Kim Jong-un. This parade celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Because he had a lot of influence over propaganda and ideas, Liu also met with leaders of global technology companies. He met with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in March 2016. He also met with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in November 2016.

Liu retired from his political roles at the 19th Party Congress in 2017.

Family life

Liu Yunshan is married to Li Sufang. She used to work at the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Liu and his wife have two sons, Liu Lefei and Liu Letting. As of 2014, Liu Lefei was a vice-chairman at CITIC Securities.

See also

In Spanish: Liu Yunshan para niños