Yao Mingduan

Yao Mingduan (born November 28, 1950) is the third daughter of Yao Yilin, former Vice Premier of the State Council of China and former member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee.

During the Cultural Revolution, when Yao Yilin was persecuted and the family was under great pressure, Yao Mingduan was sent down to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps’ 852 Farm for re-education through labor. The harsh conditions led her to contract nephritis. After returning to the city, she had no permanent housing and temporarily stayed with a female classmate, who happened to be the sister of Sun Fengshan. Through this connection, Yao Mingduan and Sun Fengshan met, developed a relationship, and later married.

Yao Yilin, upon learning of their relationship, did not object because of family background. Instead, he encouraged the marriage, appreciating the sincerity of the bond, as the Sun family had provided support to his daughter in difficult times.

After their marriage, Sun Fengshan joined the army, and after his demobilization, the couple both worked at Beifang (North) Company. Their marriage was harmonious and loving, and together they had a daughter, Sun Yao.

As a member of a prominent political family, Yao Mingduan’s life was marked by turbulence and resilience. She is known both as Yao Yilin’s daughter and as the partner of Sun Fengshan, but she has maintained a relatively low public profile, devoting herself more to family and personal life than to political exposure.