Founder of the Democratic League and the Peasants’ and Workers’ party; minister of communications branded “China’s number one rightist”
From Tongcheng, Anhui, he joined the Communist Party in Berlin in 1923 on Zhu De’s introduction and was deputy director of the political department of the Nanchang Uprising in 1927, but left the party after its failure and founded the “third party” (later the Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party) with Deng Yanda. He helped found the China Democratic League in 1941 and became chairman of the Peasants’ and Workers’ party in 1947. After 1949 he was minister of communications, vice-chairman of the CPPCC and head of the Guangming Daily. In May 1957 he said the CPPCC, the NPC and the democratic parties should be politics’ “design institutes”; in June he was declared “China’s number one rightist” and in January 1958 lost nine posts. He died of stomach cancer in 1969 and in 1980 remained one of five central-level rightists never corrected.
Also known as: Chang Po-chun
Activities and affiliations
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1923–1927
Political and party leadership
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1927–1958
Political and party leadership
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1949–1958
People’s Republic of China state institutionsMinister of Communications
Government and administration
Career Timeline
- 1922Studied philosophy at the University of Berlin
- 1923Joined the Communist Party, introduced by Zhu De
- 1927Deputy director of the political department in the Nanchang Uprising; left the party after its failure
- 1941Co-founded the China Democratic Political League; standing committee, organisation department
- 1947Chairman of the Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party
- 1949–1958Minister of Communications; head of the Guangming Daily
- 1957“Political design institute” remarks; declared China’s number one rightist
- 1958Dismissed from nine posts including minister and CPPCC vice-chairman