Zhou Bin

Zhou Bin (1915–1990), originally named Zhang Shuhua, was the first wife of Yao Yilin, former Vice Premier of the State Council of China and former member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee.

Zhou Bin came from a relatively privileged family background, as her father was a senior banking officer. In 1937, she married Yao Yilin and accompanied him during the early years of his political and revolutionary career. Together, they had three daughters and one son. Their eldest daughter, Yao Mingrui (1945–2009), later served as a researcher in the Department of Development at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of the People’s Republic of China.

As a wife, Zhou Bin played a central role in raising the children and supporting her husband’s demanding political life. She remained largely low-profile, seldom appearing in the public eye, but her contributions to family life and to supporting Yao Yilin’s career were significant.

Zhou Bin passed away in 1990 at the age of 75. Her death marked a major turning point in Yao Yilin’s personal life, after which he spent his later years with his second wife, Hong Shouzi.