Name Song Ping Role Official | Education Tsinghua University Children Song Yichang | |
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Song Ping (Chinese: 宋平; pinyin: Sòng Píng; born 24 April 1917) is a Chinese Communist revolutionary and a retired high-ranking politician. He was a member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee, which effectively rules China, and is considered the only living member of the Second Generation of Chinese Leadership.
Biography
He rose through the ranks of the party to become First Party Secretary of Gansu Province, and later Minister of Organization of CPC. Song was in charge of senior cadres' recommendation, candidacy and promotion.
During his time as Party Chief of Gansu, Song Ping became mentor of two young protégés - Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao - who were to become the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and the Premier of the Chinese State Council, respectively.
In 1987, Song left the Planning Commission to replace Wei Jianxing as head of the CPC Central Organization Department. Song announced a decision by the Communist Party of China to expel members of the communist party who were sympathetic to pro-democracy demonstrations in the spring of 1989.
He stepped down as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee on October 19, 1992. He turned 100 in April 2017.