Song Ping was an official in the Communist Party of China

Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...

, a former member of the Standing Committee

Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is a committee of about 150 members of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China , which is convened between plenary sessions of the NPC. It has the constitutional authority to modify legislation within limits set by...

, and is considered a member of the Second Generation of Chinese Leadership.

Biography

He rose through the ranks of the party to become first secretary of CCP Gansu

Gansu

' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...

 Division, and later Minister of Organization of CCP. Song was in charge of senior cadres' recommendation, candidacy and promotion.

During his time as First Secretary of CPP Gansu Division, Song Ping became mentor

Mentor

In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...

 of two young protéges - Hu Jintao

Hu Jintao

Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...

 and Wen Jiabao

Wen Jiabao

Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...

- who were to become the current Chinese president

President of the People's Republic of China

The President of the People's Republic of China is a ceremonial office and a part of State organs under the National People's Congress and it is the head of state of the People's Republic of China . The office was created by the 1982 Constitution...

 and the current Premier

Premier of the People's Republic of China

The Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China , sometimes also referred to as the "Prime Minister" informally, is the Leader of the State Council of the People's Republic of China , who is the head of government and holds the highest-ranking of the Civil service of the...

 of the Chinese State Council

State Council of the People's Republic of China

The State Council of the People's Republic of China , which is largely synonymous with the Central People's Government after 1954, is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the Premier and includes the heads of each governmental department and agency...

 respectively.

In 1987, Song left the Planning Commission to replace Wei Jianxing

Wei Jianxing

Wei Jianxing is a former senior leader in the Communist Party of China, a standing committee member of politburo in CPC, the secretary of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, and the chairman of All-China Federation of Trade Unions.- Biography :Wei...

 as head of the CPC Central Organization Department

Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee

The Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee is a department of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee that controls staffing positions within the CPC....

. 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 1988.

He stepped down as a member of the Standing Committee on October 19, 1992.