Who is China’s President Xi Jinping? What is his net worth, how old is he and what happened to Hu Jintao

Jinping who has ruled China for more than ten years, will now take on another five year term
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Xi Jinping will serve a third term as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China. The announcement which sees him stay on as president was made at China’s 20th Communist Party Congress in Beijing.

Jinping has broken with tradition that limited the term leaders could serve, with the President now in theory able to rule for life, making him the most powerful leader in China since Chairman Mao.

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During the conference former President Hu Jintao was filmed abruptly leaving a meeting of the Party Central Committee with the help of aides holding his arm, causing concern about his whereabouts.

So who is Xi Jinping and what happened to former President of China Hu Jintao?

General Secretary and Chinese President, Xi Jinping waves as he leaves after speaking at a press event for the Communist Party of China (Pic: Getty Images)General Secretary and Chinese President, Xi Jinping waves as he leaves after speaking at a press event for the Communist Party of China (Pic: Getty Images)
General Secretary and Chinese President, Xi Jinping waves as he leaves after speaking at a press event for the Communist Party of China (Pic: Getty Images)

Who is China's President Xi Jinping?

Jinping is China’s current president who has just announced his third term in office. He began life in Beijing, the son of Xi Zhongxun, a senior Communist Party official and former guerrilla commander in the civil war that brought the communists to power in 1949.

At 15-years-old he went to live and work in rural villages during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. Jinping returned to Beijing in 1975 to study chemical engineering at the prestigious Tsinghua University and joined the military as an aid in 1979.

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Throughout his career, Jinping has served as a deputy and then leader of the Communist Party in Zhengding county, vice mayor of the city of Xiamen and party chief of both Zhejiang province and Shanghai.

In 2007 he joined the national leadership as one of nine members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the top leadership of the Communist Party and by 2008 he had been named as the Vice President of China.

Jinping has been married to the popular singer Peng Liyuan since 1987, with the pair having one daughter, Xi Mingze who studied at Harvard and is thought to be living in the US.

When did he become President of China?

Jinping replaced Hu Jintao as general secretary of the Communist Party in November 2012 and by March 2013 he had begun to serve his first five year term as president of China. In October 2017, he was elected once again to serve his second five year term, which would see him step down as leader in 2022.

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However, in 2018 China removed the two-term limit for Presidents, which was put in place by Deng Xiaoping in 1982 following the death of Chairman Mao. Without a limit on how long he can stay in power, Jinping can in theory rule the country indefinitely.

What is Xi Jinping’s net worth?

Jinping’s net worth is not exactly known, with much speculation around his earnings. In his position as General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of China he earns a modest salary of $22,000, however his real net worth is expected to be much higher.

According to Finty, Jinping has an estimated net worth of $1 billion, however, other websites including Celebrity Net Worth play this figure down, putting it at $1 million.

How old is Xi Jingping?

Jinping was born in Beijing in 1953 making him 69-years-old.

What happened to Hu Jintao?

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On Saturday 22 October, Jingping’s predecessor, 79-year-old Hu Jintao, was filmed abruptly leaving a meeting of the Party Central Committee with the help of aides holding his arm. The former President of China looked visibly confused as he was led away.

Former President Hu Jintao is helped to leave early from the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (Pic: Getty Images)Former President Hu Jintao is helped to leave early from the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (Pic: Getty Images)
Former President Hu Jintao is helped to leave early from the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (Pic: Getty Images)

The move has caused analysts to question if Jingping was showcasing his power by expelling former party leaders, however according to Chinese state media the politician was “not feeling well”.

In a tweet they shared: “Xinhuanet reporter Liu Jiawen has learned that Hu Jintao insisted on attending the closing session of the party’s 20th national congress, despite the fact that he has been taking time to recuperate recently.”

Adding: “When he was not feeling well during the session, his staff, for his health, accompanied him to a room next to the meeting venue for a rest. Now, he is much better.

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