How was Liu Shaoqi treated during the Cultural Revolution?

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Liu Shaoqi, who had been Mao Zedong’s heir apparent, became a primary target of political purging. He was subjected to severe political frame-ups and physical persecution, being labeled "China’s Khrushchev" and denounced as a "renegade, traitor, and scab".1

In October 1968, Liu was stripped of all his party positions. Like many other high-ranking officials targeted during this period, he suffered public humiliation and detention under harsh conditions. Ultimately, Liu died on November 12, 1969, in Kaifeng, Henan province, because he was denied proper medical attention. Following the end of the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese Communist Party officially rehabilitated Liu in 1980, acknowledging that he had been the victim of false evidence and persecution orchestrated by political rivals, including Lin Biao and the Gang of Four.12