Hu Jintao

Extracted Attributes

• Award

  Order of the Sun of Peru

• Education

  Hydroelectric Engineering, Tsinghua University

• Occupation

  Politician, Engineer

• Citizenship

  People's Republic of China

• Date of Birth

  1942-12-21

• Current Status

  Only living former paramount leader of the People's Republic of China

• Place of Birth

  Taizhou, Jiangsu province, China

• Leadership Style

  Modest, reserved, technocratic, collective decision-making, consensus-based rule

• Family Background

  Born into a merchant family

• Key Policies/Concepts

  Scientific Outlook on Development, Harmonious Socialist Society, Peaceful Development

• Distinguishing Feature

  First Communist Party leader from a generation younger than those involved in the Chinese Civil War

Timeline

• Born in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, China. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, Wikidata, Britannica, EBSCO, Chineseposters.net)

  1942-12-21

• Earned a hydroelectric engineering degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing and was recruited to join the CCP. (Source: Britannica, Chineseposters.net)

  1965

• Worked as a construction worker in Gansu province during the Cultural Revolution. (Source: Britannica, Chineseposters.net)

  1966-1976

• Served in the CCP Secretariat of Gansu province. (Source: Chineseposters.net)

  1979-1982

• Became General Secretary of the Communist Youth League. (Source: Chineseposters.net)

  1984

• Became Party Secretary of Guizhou Province. (Source: Chineseposters.net, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  1985

• Joined the CCP Central Committee. (Source: Chineseposters.net)

  1987

• Appointed Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region. (Source: Chineseposters.net, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  1988

• Imposed martial law in Tibet to quell unrest. (Source: Chineseposters.net)

  1989

• Appointed a member of the Secretariat of the CCP Central Committee and joined the CCP Politburo Standing Committee. (Source: Britannica, Wikipedia, DBPedia, Chineseposters.net)

  1992

• Elected Vice President of China. (Source: Britannica, Chineseposters.net)

  1998

• Became Vice Chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission. (Source: Britannica, Chineseposters.net)

  1999

• Succeeded Jiang Zemin as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia, Britannica, EBSCO, Chineseposters.net)

  2002-11

• Served as the paramount leader of China. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  2002-2012

• Served as President of the People's Republic of China. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia, Britannica, EBSCO, Chineseposters.net)

  2003-2013

• Served as Chairman of the Central Military Commission. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  2004-2012

• Voluntarily retired from all positions, succeeded by Xi Jinping. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBPedia)

  2012

• Unexpectedly escorted out of the Communist Party Congress in Beijing. (Source: BBC, NYT)

  2022-10

Hu Jintao

Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, President of China from 2003 to 2013, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 2004 to 2012. He was a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, China's top decision-making body, from 1992 to 2012, and served as the country's fifth paramount leader from 2002 to 2012. Hu rose to power through the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), notably as Party Committee secretary for Guizhou province and the Tibet Autonomous Region, where his harsh repression of dissent gained him attention from the highest levels. He moved up to serve as a member of the CCP Central Secretariat and vice president under CCP general secretary Jiang Zemin. Hu was the first leader of the Communist Party from a generation younger than those who participated in the civil war and the founding of the republic. Influential sponsors from the older generation promoted his rapid rise, including Song Ping, Hu Yaobang, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin. During his term in office, Hu reintroduced state control in some sectors of the economy that were relaxed by the previous administration, and was conservative with political reforms. Along with his colleague Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, Hu presided over nearly a decade of consistent economic growth and development that cemented China as a major world power. He sought to improve socio-economic equality domestically through the Scientific Outlook on Development, which aimed to build a "Harmonious Socialist Society" that was prosperous and free of social conflict. Under his leadership, the authorities also cracked down on social disturbances, ethnic minority protests, and dissident figures, which also led to many controversial events such as the unrest in Tibet and the passing of the Anti-Secession Law. In foreign policy, Hu advocated for China's peaceful rise, pursuing soft power in international relations and a corporate approach to diplomacy. Throughout Hu's tenure, China's influence in Africa, Latin America, and other developing regions increased. Hu possessed a modest and reserved leadership style. His tenure was characterized by collective leadership and consensus-based rule. These traits made Hu an enigmatic figure in the public eye. At the end of his tenure after ten years in office, Hu won praise for retiring voluntarily from all positions. His administration was known for its focus more on technocratic competence. He was succeeded by Xi Jinping. Following the death of his predecessor Jiang Zemin, Hu is the only living former paramount leader of the People's Republic of China. He was the last paramount leader of China to be born before the establishment of the PRC.

Web Search Results

• Hu Jintao | Former President of China, Achievements, & Biography

  Encyclopedia Britannica Encyclopedia Britannica Hu Jintao Hu Jintao Hu Jintao # Hu Jintao Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Hu Jintao (born December 1942, Taizhou, Jiangsu province, China) is a Chinese politician and government official who was general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012 and president of China from 2003 to 2013. ## Early life and education [...] Hu was born into a merchant family and grew up in Taizhou, Jiangsu province. As a youth, he distinguished himself academically, and in 1965 he earned a hydroelectric engineering degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing. While a student there, he was recruited to join the CCP. Following graduation, Hu served as an assistant instructor at the school before being sent to work for a year as a construction worker in Gansu province during the Cultural Revolution. He later held several technical and [...] At the 1992 CCP Congress, Hu was appointed a member of the Secretariat of the CCP Central Committee, a key post that enabled him to establish networks throughout the party. In 1998 he was elected vice president of China, and the following year he became the vice chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission (CMC). By 2002 Hu had emerged as the heir apparent to Pres. Jiang Zemin, and in November of that year he succeeded Jiang as general secretary of the CCP.

• Hu Jintao | EBSCO Research Starters

  Hu Jintao served as the president of the People's Republic of China and the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 2002 to 2012. Born on December 21, 1942, in Shanghai, Hu rose from an upper-middle-class background and pursued a degree in hydraulic engineering at Tsinghua University. His political career began in the Communist Youth League, where he became known for advocating economic reforms and managing social unrest. As president, Hu focused on strengthening the Communist [...] Hu Jintao served as the president of the People's Republic of China and the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 2002 to 2012. Born on December 21, 1942, in Shanghai, Hu rose from an upper-middle-class background and pursued a degree in hydraulic engineering at Tsinghua University. His political career began in the Communist Youth League, where he became known for advocating economic reforms and managing social unrest. As president, Hu focused on strengthening the Communist [...] ## Related Topics ## On this Page ## Subject Terms # Hu Jintao President ## Background Hu Jintao was the president of the People's Republic of China and the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 2002 until 2012. A former youth leader and hydraulic engineer, Hu worked to increase the presence of the Communist Party in Chinese society and made economic reform a primary goal of his administration.

• Hu Jintao | Chinese Posters | Chineseposters.net

  Hu Jintao (胡锦涛) was born in a merchant family in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, in 1942. He graduated as a hydro-electric engineer from Qinghua University in 1965. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), Hu worked in construction in Gansu Province. Gansu was the region where he embarked on his political career: while serving in the CCP Secretariat of Gansu in the years 1979-1982, his qualities were recognized by high officials like Song Ping and Hu Yaobang (no relation), leading to various [...] In 1984, Hu became General Secretary of the Communist Youth League (CYL), a position that Hu Yaobang had held before. In 1985, he became Party Secretary of Guizhou Province (1985) and joined the CCP Central Committee in 1987. Hu was appointed Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region in 1988. While there, he imposed martial law in 1989 to quell the unrest. When Song Ping retired, Hu took over his position in the Politburo. In 1992 Hu joined the CCP Secretariat, allowing him to build up his [...] network and in 1998, he became Vice-President of China. A year later, he became Vice-Chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission. As Jiang Zemin’s heir apparent, he succeeded him in 2002, serving as General CCP Secretary from 2002 to 2012 and as president of China from 2003 to 2013. During his term in office, Hu was seconded by Wen Jiabao, who served as Prime Minister.

• Hu Jintao: The mysterious exit of China's former leader from party ...

  What is pushing this along is that Hu Jintao represents a very different model for China from that of Xi Jinping. He ran a much more collective leadership and had to balance various factions represented on the Politburo Standing Committee. The Hu years - he held the presidency between 2003 and 2013 - were seen as a time of opening up to the outside world and increased tolerance of new ideas. [...] # Hu Jintao: The mysterious exit of China's former leader from party congress Footage of China's former leader, Hu Jintao, being asked to leave the stage at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during the Communist Party Congress is drawing global attention as people try to work out what has just happened. There are a lot of questions and no answers so far from the Chinese government. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Mr Hu was escorted from the chamber after feeling unwell. [...] Copyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

• Hu Jintao - The New York Times

  Hu Jintao, the former Chinese leader, was unexpectedly escorted out of the Communist Party congress. He apparently paused to speak to President Xi Jinping before leaving. By Reuters ### In Pictures: China’s National Day Parade Features Pomp and Artillery The parade in Beijing, among the largest in modern Chinese history, was designed to commemorate 70 years of Communist rule. By Mike Ives ### North Korea Last Hosted a Chinese President in 2005. Here’s How It Went. [...] We deconstruct video footage of the surprising moment when the former Chinese leader was escorted out of the highly choreographed Communist Party Congress. By Agnes Chang, Vivian Wang, Isabelle Qian and Ang Li ### A Former Chinese Leader Was Ushered Out, Leaving Many Questions A health scare? A brazen political gesture? Whatever else it was, the episode was awkward. By Chang Che ### Former Leader Escorted Out of Chinese Congress [...] Supported by # Hu Jintao ## Latest ### In a Turbulent Time for China, Xi Projects Unity at an Ex-Leader’s Funeral Paying tribute to President Jiang Zemin, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, urged the nation to rally around himself, a week after protests tested his authority. By Chris Buckley ### Your Tuesday Briefing: Jair Bolsonaro Loses But he has not conceded Brazil’s presidential election. By Amelia Nierenberg ### What Happened to Hu Jintao?

• Award

  Order of the Sun of Peru

• Image

  

• Gender

  male

• Educated At

  Tsinghua University

• Instance Of

  Q5

• Occupation

  engineer

• Citizenship

  People's Republic of China

• Date Of Birth

  12/21/1942

• Place Of Birth

  Jiangyan District

Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2003 to 2013, and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) from 2004 to 2012. He was a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, China's de facto top decision-making body, from 1992 to 2012. Hu was the paramount leader of China from 2002 to 2012. Hu rose to power through the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), notably as Party Committee secretary for Guizhou province and the Tibet Autonomous Region, where his harsh repression of dissent gained him attention from the highest levels. He moved up to first secretary of the CCP Central Secretariat and vice president under CCP general secretary Jiang Zemin. Hu was the first leader of the Communist Party from a generation younger than those who participated in the civil war and the founding of the republic. Influential sponsors from the older generation promoted his rapid rise, including Song Ping, Hu Yaobang, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin. During his term in office, Hu reintroduced state control in some sectors of the economy that were relaxed by the previous administration, and was conservative with political reforms. Along with his colleague Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, Hu presided over nearly a decade of consistent economic growth and development that cemented China as a major world power. He sought to improve socio-economic equality domestically through the Scientific Outlook on Development, which aimed to build a "Harmonious Socialist Society" that was prosperous and free of social conflict. Under his leadership, the authorities also cracked down on social disturbances, ethnic minority protests, and dissident figures, which also led to many controversial events such as the unrest in Tibet and the passing of the Anti-Secession Law. In foreign policy, Hu advocated for "China's peaceful development", pursuing soft power in international relations and a corporate approach to diplomacy. Throughout Hu's tenure, China's influence in Africa, Latin America, and other developing regions increased. Hu possessed a modest and reserved leadership style. His tenure was characterized by collective leadership and consensus-based rule. These traits made Hu a rather enigmatic figure in the public eye. His administration was known for its focus more on technocratic competence than persona. At the end of his tenure after ten years in office, Hu won praise for retiring voluntarily from all positions. He was succeeded by Xi Jinping. Following the death of his predecessor Jiang Zemin, Hu is the only living former paramount leader of the People's Republic of China.