22 Facts About Rui Chenggang

Rui Chenggang is a former Chinese news anchor and journalist for China Central Television.

Rui Chenggang was detained in July 2014 on suspicion of bribery, with a sentence from 2015 to 2020.

Rui Chenggang went to No 8 Middle School in Hefei, and was the president of the student council.

In 1995 during gaokao exams, Rui Chenggang ranked first among social science and humanities students in his city, and ranked fourth in his province.

Rui Chenggang was admitted to the International Economics program in the English Department at China Foreign Affairs University in 1995.

Rui Chenggang represented China at the 1998 International Public Speaking Competition.

In 2000, Rui Chenggang joined China Central Television and became one of the first reporters and news anchors at the state broadcaster's newly launched English language channel CCTV-9, the first and only 24hr, news-oriented international TV channel of China.

Rui Chenggang was named one of the "Global Leaders of Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum in 2001.

In 2005, Rui Chenggang was selected to the Yale World Fellow Program.

Rui Chenggang took a temporary leave from his job and studied in residence at Yale University.

In 2008, Rui Chenggang left CCTV-9 for CCTV-2, a Chinese-language channel focusing on business and economics.

Rui Chenggang became known for his interviews with global leaders such as Bill Gates, Tony Blair, Yasuo Fukuda, and Bill Clinton, though sometimes in a controversial or nationalistic style.

Rui Chenggang wrote two best-selling books in China: Life Begins At Thirty in 2009 and Something For Nothing in 2012.

Rui Chenggang was knighted with the Order of Stella d'Italia by President Giorgio Napolitano of Italy in 2013, the second year this Italian order of chivalry was founded, for his contributions in promoting friendship and cooperation between Italy and China.

Rui Chenggang received the honor at the Embassy of Italy in Beijing in June 2013 at a ceremony hosted by Italy's Ambassador to China at the time, Alberto Bradanini.

Rui Chenggang won the 2010 China Broadcasting and Hosting "Golden Microphone Award", the highest honor of the state for TV journalists in China.

On July 11,2014, during the live broadcast of CCTV's Economic News, Rui Chenggang's seat was conspicuously empty, though his microphone remained on the desk, sparking public speculation.

Rui Chenggang's sentence ran from May 18,2015, to December 11,2020.

At the 2010 G20 Seoul summit, Rui Chenggang attracted controversy when US President Barack Obama said he would give the final question at a press conference to South Korean media.

When no one in the South Korea media crew responded, Rui Chenggang raised his hand and was called on by President Obama.

Rui Chenggang then opened his question with "I'm actually Chinese, but I think I get to represent the entire Asia".

On September 14,2011, during the Summer Davos Forum in Dalian, Rui Chenggang questioned Gary Locke, the US Ambassador to China at the time, about his decision to fly economy class to China, asking whether it was intended to remind the world that the US owed money to China.