Political and party leadership · Citizenship: China — People | Cyber-Lenin

Political and party leadership Citizenship: China Clear all

40 people

By birth A–Z List Cards

Yuan Shikai 袁世凯 The Beiyang strongman who took over the 1911 revolution and tried to make himself emperor Military command · Beiyang government and warlords 1859–1916
Sun Yat-sen 孙中山 Founding father of the Republic of China who framed the Three Principles of the People and the first united front Political and party leadership · Kuomintang 1866–1925
Chen Duxiu 陈独秀 The New Culture revolutionary who founded the CCP and led it for six years Political and party leadership · Communist Party of China 1879–1942
Wang Jingwei 汪精卫 Sun Yat-sen’s heir and Kuomintang left leader who ended as head of the Japanese-sponsored Nanjing regime Political and party leadership · Kuomintang 1883–1944
Zhu De 朱德 Founder of the Chinese Red Army and the PLA, first among the Ten Marshals Military command · People’s Republic of China 1886–1976
Chiang Kai-shek 蔣介石 Nationalist leader who combined resistance to Japan with anti-communist rule Political and party leadership · Kuomintang 1887–1975
Li Dazhao 李大钊 The Peking University librarian who first embraced Marxism in China and nurtured the generation of Mao Zedong Political and party leadership · Communist Party of China 1889–1927
Mao Zedong 毛泽东 He rewrote the grammar of revolution for a peasant country Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1893–1976
Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄 Sun Yat-sen’s widow who stayed with the Kuomintang left and became a vice-chair of the People’s Republic Social movements and organizing · Communist Party of China 1893–1981
Zhang Guotao 张国焘 Chair of the founding congress who split with Mao on the Long March and defected to the Nationalists Political and party leadership · Communist Party of China 1897–1979
Ye Jianying 叶剑英 From Whampoa instructor to marshal, the soldier who organised the arrest of the Gang of Four in 1976 and ended the Cultural Revolution Military command · People’s Republic of China 1897–1986
Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇 CCP chief theoretician and PRC Chairman (1959–68), designated successor to Mao who was purged as China's foremost 'capitalist roader' Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1898–1969
Zhou Enlai 周恩来 The PRC's first premier and an architect of its foreign policy Government and administration · People’s Republic of China 1898–1976
Qu Qiubai 瞿秋白 Marxist literary critic who first sang The Internationale in Chinese, and party leader in 1927 Political and party leadership · Communist Party of China 1899–1935
Li Lisan 李立三 Labour organiser whose 1930 urban-insurrection “Li Lisan line” led the party and cost him his position Political and party leadership · Communist Party of China 1899–1967
Zhang Wentian 张闻天 A “28 Bolsheviks” returnee who became general secretary after Zunyi and sided with Peng Dehuai at Lushan in 1959 Political and party leadership · Communist Party of China 1900–1976
Chen Yi 陈毅 The poet-marshal who led the New Fourth Army and the Third Field Army and succeeded Zhou Enlai as foreign minister Diplomacy and international organization · People’s Republic of China 1901–1972
Xu Xiangqian 徐向前 Marshal who commanded the Fourth Front Army through Zhang Guotao’s split and as defence minister directed the 1979 war with Vietnam Military command · People’s Republic of China 1901–1990
Peng Zhen 彭真 Beijing mayor purged as the Cultural Revolution's first major target, then the architect of post-Mao China's legal-institutional foundations Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1902–1997
Rao Shushi 饶漱石 The East China leader purged with Gao Gang in the “Gao–Rao anti-party alliance”, the People’s Republic’s first high-level purge Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1903–1975
Ren Bishi 任弼时 The organiser among Yan’an’s five secretaries, dead a year after the People’s Republic was founded Political and party leadership · Communist Party of China 1904–1950
Wang Ming 王明 Leader of the "28 Bolsheviks" and Mao Zedong's foremost political rival Political and party leadership · Communist Party of China 1904–1974
Ding Ling 丁玲 From Miss Sophia’s Diary to The Sun Shines over the Sanggan River, a writer who lived through Yan’an and the anti-rightist purge Literature and arts · Communist Party of China 1904–1986
Deng Xiaoping 邓小平 The paramount leader who redirected China through reform and opening Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1904–1997
Gao Gang 高岗 The second-most powerful man in the CCP who wielded virtually autonomous power in Manchuria, then walked into Mao's trap and fell Economy, finance and planning · People’s Republic of China 1905–1954
Chen Yun 陈云 CCP elder who designed China's socialist economic system with his 'bird-cage economy' concept Economy, finance and planning · People’s Republic of China 1905–1995
Bo Gu 博古 The CCP's young General Secretary who represented the Comintern line and later built the Party's press apparatus Political and party leadership · Communist Party of China 1907–1946
Lin Biao 林彪 Mao's designated successor and the military genius who won the Chinese Civil War, third among the Ten Marshals Military command · People’s Republic of China 1907–1971
Bo Yibo 薄一波 First finance minister and central figure of the “61 renegades” case, who returned in the reform era as a conservative elder Economy, finance and planning · People’s Republic of China 1908–2007
Li Xiannian 李先念 The finance chief who survived the Cultural Revolution, helped arrest the Gang of Four and became president; one of the “eight elders” Economy, finance and planning · People’s Republic of China 1909–1992
Yang Dezhi 杨得志 General who fought in Korea, commanded the Kunming region on the western front in 1979 and became chief of the General Staff Military command · People’s Republic of China 1911–1994
Jiang Qing 江青 From the Shanghai stage to the pinnacle of the Cultural Revolution: Mao's wife who led the Gang of Four and remade Chinese revolutionary art Ideology and propaganda · People’s Republic of China 1914–1991
Hu Yaobang 胡耀邦 The reformist general secretary who rehabilitated the Cultural Revolution’s victims and freed thought; his death sparked the 1989 protests Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1915–1989
Wang Dongxing 汪东兴 Mao’s bodyguard chief whose Zhongnanhai Unit 8341 arrested the Gang of Four, then pushed aside for the “two whatevers” Security, intelligence and policing · People’s Republic of China 1916–2015
Zhao Ziyang 赵紫阳 From Sichuan’s farm reforms to general secretary, the reformer who opposed martial law in 1989 and died under house arrest Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1919–2005
Hua Guofeng 华国锋 Mao’s designated successor — “With you in charge, I am at ease” — who arrested the Gang of Four and was eased out by Deng Xiaoping Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1921–2008
Jiang Zemin 江泽民 The “core” plucked from Shanghai in 1989 who led post-Tiananmen China into the market economy and the “Three Represents” Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1926–2022
Li Peng 李鹏 The premier who declared martial law in May 1989, called “the butcher of Beijing”; Zhou Enlai’s ward Government and administration · People’s Republic of China 1928–2019
Yao Wenyuan 姚文元 The Gang of Four’s theorist whose attack on Hai Rui Dismissed from Office opened the Cultural Revolution; the critic nicknamed “the cudgel” Ideology and propaganda · People’s Republic of China 1931–2005
Wang Hongwen 王洪文 The Shanghai worker-rebel who rose “like a helicopter” to party vice-chairman, youngest of the Gang of Four Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1935–1992