Raymond Huo - Early Life

Early Life

Huo was born in Qianshan, an eastern part of China. Huo's father was a doctor, and hist mother was a head nurse. They were in their early thirties when they volunteered to move from the Capital City to Qianshan to help the local population fight Schistosoma, a parasitic disease. It was here that Huo first picked up some of the ideals and beliefs, such as social justice and equity, which would lead him into politics.

Being a medical professional did not spare Huo's father from persecution during the Cultural Revolution. His father—an "intellectual"—was ordered to stand at the gates of the hospital for an hour, three times a day with a white board stating "counter-revolutionary medical expert". Raymond Huo, only 5 years old at the time, joined him with a smaller whiteboard saying "little counter-revolutionary medical expert". He later said he secretly believed it was his little sign that ended the Cultural Revolution soon afterward.

Huo credits his time in the small rural town as a major influence on his desire for free-will that he has carried into his politics and world view.

As a teenager Huo taught himself to speak English in China by listening to the radio. Huo went onto study English at Anhui University in Hefei and Law at China University of Political Studies and Law in Beijing.