Liu Yandong, rare woman in China Politburo, mourned by Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a mourning ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday for Liu Yandong, a former vice premier and one of the few women to have served as a full member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo, state media reported.

State news agency Xinhua said Liu died in Beijing on October 28 due to illness. She was 80.

Liu joined the 25-member Politburo at China's 17th Party Congress in 2007 and held the seat until 2017. She remained a vice premier until 2018.

She was one of six women to have been a full member of the party's top policymaking body, which is now all men.

Liu graduated from Tsinghua University and was associated with former Chinese leader Hu Jintao. During her career, she oversaw health, education, science, culture and sport, as well as women's and children's issues.

Xinhua said Liu was cremated Tuesday at Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing.