Cai Xiao (; October 1919 – 11 January 1990) was a Taiwan-born Chinese military officer and politician. Born in

Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...

when Taiwan was under Japanese rule, Cai moved to China and joined the

New Fourth Army The New Fourth Army () was a unit of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China established in 1937. In contrast to most of the National Revolutionary Army, it was controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and not by the ruling Ku ...

in 1937. Two years later, he became a formal member of the

Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...

. In May 1946, the CCP established the Taiwan Provincial Work Committee. Cai Xiao worked under the commission's secretary-general , training others in political warfare. In November 1949, Cai established the Taiwan Cadre Training Regiment under the 9th Corps of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

's (PLA)

Third Field Army The Third Field Army was one of the five main forces of the Communist Party's People's Liberation Army during the Chinese Civil War. It was established in early 1949. Initially known as the East China Field Army, it was formed by the New Fourth ...

. Later, he was assigned to train members of the

PLA Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...

. Cai was jailed for nine years in the midst of the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

. Upon his political rehabilitation, Cai worked for the

PLA General Political Department The People's Liberation Army General Political Department (GPD; ) was the former chief political organ under the Central Military Commission of Chinese Communist Party. It led all political activities in the People's Liberation Army. Its forme ...

and

General Logistics Department People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department (GLD; ) is a former chief organ under China's Central Military Commission. It organizes and leads the logistics construction and oversees housing, supplies, hospitals, and barracks of the People ...

, becoming the GPD's deputy director in 1975. From 1973 to 1982, he served on the

Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, officially the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is a political body that comprises the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is currently composed of 205 fu ...

. After retiring from the military, Cai succeeded Xie Xuehong as chairman of the

Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League The Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (TDSL), also known by its Chinese abbreviation Taimeng ( zh , s = 台盟 , t = 臺盟 ), is one of the eight legally recognized minor political parties in the People's Republic of China that are m ...

(Taimeng), serving from 1979 to 1983. In December 2017, Cai Xiao's daughter Su Hui was elected chair of Taimeng.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cai, Xiao 1919 births 1990 deaths Chinese Communist Party politicians Politicians from Tainan Taiwanese emigrants to China People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department Deputy chiefs of the People's Liberation Army General Political Department New Fourth Army Members of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League Leaders of political parties in China Victims of the Cultural Revolution Members of the Standing Committee of the 5th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Members of the Standing Committee of the 6th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference