How long did Hu Jintao serve?

Hu Jintao was China’s Communist Party leader and the country’s head of state for a decade, beginning in 2002 and ending in 2013.

Hu rose through the ranks of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), most notably as Party Committee secretary for Guizhou province and the Tibet Autonomous Region, where his harsh repression of dissent drew the attention of the highest levels.

Hu was the first Communist Party leader from a generation younger than those who fought in the civil war and founded the republic.

When Mr Hu took office, he worked to make the party elites appear more approachable, for example, by scrapping the elaborate ceremonies that greeted China’s top leaders when they travelled abroad.

During his presidency, Hu reintroduced state control in some sectors of the economy that had been relaxed by the previous administration, while also remaining conservative on political reforms.

Hu advocated for “China’s peaceful development” in foreign policy, pursuing soft power in international relations and a corporate approach to diplomacy. During Hu’s presidency, China’s influence in Africa, Latin America, and other developing regions grew.