People’s Daily reported on the funeral of Song Ping, former Chinese State Councillor, mentioning that Hu Jintao and other comrades went to the hospital to visit him or expressed their condolences.
A farewell ceremony for Song Ping's remains was held at Babaoshan in Beijing. Xinhua News Agency reported that several senior officials, including the seven members of the Standing Committee, were in attendance; Hu Jintao did not attend.
Chinese Communist Party elder Song Ping has passed away at the age of 109. Xinhua News Agency reported that Hu Jintao sent a wreath to express his condolences.
After being recommended and introduced to Hu Yaobang by Song Ping, Hu Yaobang and Song Ping jointly recommended Hu Jintao to serve as Secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Youth League of China Central Committee and Chairman of the All-China Youth Federation. Hu Jintao, about 40 years old, returned to Beijing and was promoted to First Secretary of the Communist Youth League Central Committee within two years.
After the Cultural Revolution, Chen Shunyao, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University, recommended Hu Jintao to her husband Song Ping, and Hu Jintao was promoted from an ordinary technician to secretary of the Communist Youth League Gansu Provincial Committee.