Liu Yunshan

Liu Yunshan
刘云山
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 76) Salaqi County, Suiyuan, Republic of China
Political party	Chinese Communist Party (1971–)
Alma mater	Jining Teachers College

Liu Yunshan (/ljoʊ jʊnˈʃɑːn/;^[1] simplified Chinese: 刘云山; traditional Chinese: 劉雲山; pinyin: Liú Yúnshān; born July 1947) is a retired Chinese politician. He was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the top decision-making body of the CCP, between 2012 and 2017; he was broadly tasked with the work of the party's secretariat, overseeing propaganda and ideological indoctrination, as well as party organization, in addition to serving as President of the Central Party School.^[2]

Liu built his career in Inner Mongolia, working initially as a teacher, then a Xinhua reporter, before entering the Communist Youth League and the Inner Mongolia party propaganda department. He had a short stint working as the Party Secretary of the city of Chifeng, in Inner Mongolia. Between 2002 and 2012, Liu served as the head of the Central Propaganda Department.

Liu, generally perceived by observers to be a conservative and orthodox Communist, oversaw the gradual tightening of internet controls in China during his tenure, as well as an overall reduction in free discourse and civil society. He retired in 2017.