Ching Ling Soong

Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄 宋慶齡
Honorary Chairman of the People's Republic of China
In office Appointed on 16 May 1981
Premier	Zhao Ziyang
Leader	Deng Xiaoping
2nd Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China
In office 27 April 1959 – 17 January 1975 Served alongside Dong Biwu
Chairman	Liu Shaoqi vacant (1968–1972) Dong Biwu (Acting)
Preceded by	Zhu De
Succeeded by	Ulanhu (1983)
Head of State of the People's Republic of China as Vice Chairman
In office 31 October 1968 – 24 February 1972 Served alongside Dong Biwu
Premier	Zhou Enlai
Leader	Mao Zedong
Preceded by	Liu Shaoqi (as Chairman)
Succeeded by	Dong Biwu (as Acting Chairman)
Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
In office 17 January 1975 – 29 May 1981
Chairman	Zhu De Ye Jianying
In office 15 September 1954 – 18 April 1959
Chairman	Liu Shaoqi
Vice Chairman of the Central People's Government
In office 1 October 1949 – 27 September 1954 Served alongside Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Li Jishen, Zhang Lan, Gao Gang
Leader	Mao Zedong
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Zhu De
Personal details
Born	(1893-01-27)27 January 1893 Shanghai, China
Died	29 May 1981(1981-05-29) (aged 88) Beijing, China
Political party	Kuomintang (1919–1947) Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang (1948–1981) Communist Party (1981)
Spouse(s)	Sun Yat-sen (1915–25)
Alma mater	Wesleyan College

Soong Ching-ling
"Soong Ching-ling" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	宋慶齡
Simplified Chinese	宋庆龄
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Sòng Qìnglíng Wade–Giles Sung4 Ch'ing4-ling3 IPA [sʊ̂ŋ tɕʰîŋ.lǐŋ] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Sung Hing-lìhng Jyutping Sung3 Hing3-ling4

Soong Ching-ling (27 January 1893 – 29 May 1981) was a Chinese stateswoman. As the second wife of Sun Yat-sen, one of the leaders of the 1911 revolution that established the Republic of China, she was often referred to as Madame Sun Yat-sen. She was a member of the Soong family and, together with her siblings, played a prominent role in China's politics prior to 1949.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, she held several prominent positions in the new government, including Vice President of China (1949–1975) and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (1954–1959, 1975–1981), travelled abroad during the early 1950s, representing her country at a number of international activities. During the Cultural Revolution, however, she was heavily criticized. Following the purge of President Liu Shaoqi in 1968, she and Dong Biwu as Vice Presidents became de facto Heads of State of China until 1972, when Dong was appointed Acting President. Soong survived the Cultural Revolution, but appeared less frequently after 1976. As the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1976 to 1978, Soong was the Head of State. During her final illness in May 1981, she was given the special title of Honorary President of the People's Republic of China.

Soong Ching-ling was born to businessman and missionary Charlie Soong in Chuansha, Pudong, Shanghai, the second of six children. She graduated from McTyeire School for Girls in Shanghai, and Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, United States. Like her sisters, she spoke fluent English due to being educated in English for most of her life. Her Christian name was Rosamonde (in her early years, her passport name was spelt as Chung-ling Soong, and in her Wesleyan College diploma, her name was Rosamonde Chung-ling Soong).