Communist party leader Hu Jintao became vice president of China in 1998 and president in 2003. His administration has focused on social and economic reform.
1942-
Dalai Lama, Tibet's political leader, has strived to make Tibet an independent and democratic state from China. He and his followers are exiled to India.
1935-
Jiang Qing was the wife of Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-tung and implemented policies during the country’s Cultural Revolution.
1914-1991
1037-1101
1859-1916
Mao Tse-tung was the principal Chinese Marxist theorist, soldier and statesman who led his nation's Cultural Revolution.
1893-1976
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese communist leader, the most powerful figure in the People's Republic of China from the late 1970s until his death in 1997.
1904-1997
Lee Kuan Yew was the prime minster of Singapore from 1959 to 1990, making him the longest-serving PM in history. During his long rule, Singapore became the most prosperous nation in Southeast Asia.
1923-
Jiang Zemin was president of China from 1993-2003 and worked to improve relations with the United States.
1926-
Liang Zhuge was an adviser to Liu Bei and subsequent ruler of the Shu-Han dynasty in China.
181-234
1919-2005