Wang Jiaxiang (, also known as Wang Jiaqiang
) (August 15, 1906 – January 25, 1974), was one of the senior leaders of the
Chinese Communist Party
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...
in its early stage and a member of the
28 Bolsheviks
The 28 (and a half) Bolsheviks (二十八个半布尔什维克) were a group of Chinese students who studied at the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University from the late 1920s until early 1935, also known as the "Returned Students". The university was found ...
. Wang held a variety of high-level posts in the Party: during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
he was the director of the Red Army's General Office, upon the founding of the People's Republic of China he was the first
ambassador to the Soviet Union (and the first ever ambassador of the PRC), and then became the first head of the
Party's International Department.
Political Biography
Wang, a native of
Jing County,
Anhui
Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
, was born into a landlord family and attended an English missionary school in
Wuhu. In September 1925 he began attending the affiliated middle school of Shanghai University.
One month later he joined the Youth League, and was soon en route to the Soviet Union, studying at the
Moscow Sun Yat-sen University
Moscow Sun Yat-sen University, officially the Sun Yat-sen Communist University of the Toilers of China, was a Comintern school, which operated from 1925–1930 in the city of Moscow, Russia, then the Soviet Union. It was a training camp fo ...
. This institution was established under
Sun Yat-Sen's
policy of alliance with the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
and the
CCP, and named after him to train revolutionaries who would return to China.
Joining the '28 Bolsheviks'
In Moscow, Wang joined the cohort consisting of
Wang Ming
Wang may refer to:
Names
* Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname
* Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname
* Titles in Chinese nobility
* A title in Korean nobility
* A title in Mongolian nobility
Places
* Wang River in Thail ...
,
Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian (; 30 August 1900 – 1 July 1976), also known as Luo Fu (), was a high-ranking leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Born in Nanhui, he attended the Hohai Civil Engineering School in Nanjing and spent a year at the Univer ...
,
Bo Gu
Qin Bangxian or Ch'in Pang-hsien (), better known as Bo Gu (; Wade-Giles: ''Po Ku''; May 14, 1907 – April 8, 1946) was a senior leader of the Chinese Communist Party and a member of the 28 Bolsheviks.
Early life and education
Qin was born in ...
and other students, called the "
28 Bolsheviks
The 28 (and a half) Bolsheviks (二十八个半布尔什维克) were a group of Chinese students who studied at the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University from the late 1920s until early 1935, also known as the "Returned Students". The university was found ...
" (a coalition whose precise membership is in dispute), jointly expressing a wish to engage in revolution in China.
In 1928, while still in Moscow, Wang joined the Chinese Communist Party.
With the support from their mentor
Pavel Mif
Pavel Mif was the pseudonym of Mikhail Alexandrovich Fortus (August 3, 1901, in Khersones Gubernia of Russian Empire - 10 September 1939), a Ukrainian and Russian Bolshevik party member from May 1917 of Jewishhttps://www.jewishgen.org/Belarus/misc ...
, the president of
Moscow Sun Yat-sen University
Moscow Sun Yat-sen University, officially the Sun Yat-sen Communist University of the Toilers of China, was a Comintern school, which operated from 1925–1930 in the city of Moscow, Russia, then the Soviet Union. It was a training camp fo ...
and then representative of
Comintern to China, the
28 Bolsheviks
The 28 (and a half) Bolsheviks (二十八个半布尔什维克) were a group of Chinese students who studied at the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University from the late 1920s until early 1935, also known as the "Returned Students". The university was found ...
were sent back to China to take leadership of the CCP. The return of the "28 Bolsheviks" began with Wang Ming and
Chen Yuandao Chen Yuandao () (1902 – April 10, 1933) also called Yuandao (), was a member of the 28 Bolsheviks. He was born in Anhui Province. He was introduced by Yun Daiying into the Communist Party of China. He participated in the May Thirtieth Movement. Af ...
in early 1929, with Wang Jiaxiang returning in 1930.
On June 11, 1930, however, Wang was sent to
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
after an abortive attempt to take control of the Party. The Bolsheviks eventually did successfully take power over the Party after a power struggle with
Li Lisan
Li Lisan (; November 18, 1899 – June 22, 1967) was a Chinese politician, member of the Politburo, and later a member of the Central Committee.
Early years
Li was born in Liling, Hunan province in China in 1899, under the name of Li R ...
in 1930, however. Compared with his counterparts, Wang received the relatively less important task of secretary for the party newspaper and chief editor of two Party journals.
The downfall of the 'Bolsheviks'
Wang Jiaxiang was one of the early defectors from the
'Bolsheviks', coming over to Mao's camp during the
Zunyi conference
The Zunyi Conference () was a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in January 1935 during the Long March. This meeting involved a power struggle between the leadership of Bo Gu and Otto Braun and the opposition led by Mao Zedong. The re ...
in 1935 with other members Zhang Wentian and
Yang Shangkun
Yang Shangkun (3 August 1907 – 14 September 1998) was a Chinese Communist military and political leader, President of the People's Republic of China (''de jure'' head of state) from 1988 to 1993, and one of the Eight Elders that dominated ...
. Bo Gu was dismissed as general secretary and replaced by Zhang (though he remained a member of the Politburo), and Wang Jiaxiang rose to control the Red Army along with Mao and
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 January 1976. Zhou served under Chairman Ma ...
.
At Yan'an
After Wang reached
Yan'an
Yan'an (; ), alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several counties, including Zhidan (formerly Bao'an) ...
, he was sent to
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
as CCP delegate to
Comintern in 1937. Wang came back the next year with an important tribute to Mao: an alleged oral message from
Georgi Dimitrov, one of the leaders of Comintern at that time, that approved the CCP's united front work and endorsed Mao's leading position in the Party.
Although the authenticity of this message is still in question, Mao did exploit it as pivotal proof for the legitimacy of his being supreme leader. As a reward, Wang was appointed as Vice Chairman of
Central Military Committee of CCP, replacing Mao's rival Wang Ming. During that time the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
broke out, Chinese Red Army was reorganized into
8th Route Army, and Wang Jiaxiang was appointed as Director of Political Department, taking charge of military command with
Zhu De
Zhu De (; ; also Chu Teh; 1 December 1886 – 6 July 1976) was a Chinese general, military strategist, politician and revolutionary in the Chinese Communist Party. Born into poverty in 1886 in Sichuan, he was adopted by a wealthy uncle at ...
and
Peng Dehuai. At the same time, he was elected as Commissioner and member of the
CCP Politburo, bringing him to his greatest prominence in the Party so far.
Promoting Mao
In 1943 Wang was the first to promote the concept of
Maoism
Maoism, officially called Mao Zedong Thought by the Chinese Communist Party, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed to realise a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of Ch ...
, co-heading (with Mao) the Central Study Group in Yan'an which oversaw the mobilization meetings which forced all Politburo members to speak. This marked the launch of the
Yan'an rectification movement
The Yan'an Rectification Movement (), also known as Zhengfeng or Cheng Feng, was the first ideological mass movement initiated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), going from 1942 to 1945. The movement took place at the communist base at Yan' ...
, whose goal was "to destroy subjectivism and sectarianism and thereby save the party's cadres."
Wang proposed that Mao Zedong had always upheld "dialectical materialism", and that Liu Shaoqi had also, cementing the alliance between Mao and Liu. Wang also criticized those who were too embedded in theory and lacked "practical work experience."
Mao in turn reciprocated Wang's attentions. Thomas Kampen calls a speech by Mao at the
Seventh Party Congress of 1945 "very interesting," given that he advocated Wang's entry to the Central Committee and spoke of Wang (and Ren Bishi's) contributions to the cause after their arrival in the Soviet area. (Mao again in October 1966 praised Wang Jixiang "for he approved of the battle at Donggu." Kampen writes: "It demonstrates that Mao was grateful for Wang's support and remembered the event for decades."
Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian (; 30 August 1900 – 1 July 1976), also known as Luo Fu (), was a high-ranking leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Born in Nanhui, he attended the Hohai Civil Engineering School in Nanjing and spent a year at the Univer ...
was demoted and his title taken away by Mao although he was a puppet. But when Wang lost his using value to Mao, his being purged was inevitable. During the
Yan'an Rectification Movement
The Yan'an Rectification Movement (), also known as Zhengfeng or Cheng Feng, was the first ideological mass movement initiated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), going from 1942 to 1945. The movement took place at the communist base at Yan' ...
, Wang was labeled as representative of dogmatism along with Wang Ming and Zhang, and had to make a public confession and apologies. This was not the end of his humiliation. In the 7th National Congress of CCP held in 1945, Wang was even driven out of the Central Committee of CCP, which he had held the position for last decade. Perhaps Mao felt it was too harsh as he appealed to all delegates and it was under his insistence that Wang was elected as an alternate member of Central Committee as a comfort.
Northeast Assignment
During the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, Wang was sent to
northeast China
Northeast China or Northeastern China () is a geographical region of China, which is often referred to as "Manchuria" or "Inner Manchuria" by surrounding countries and the West. It usually corresponds specifically to the three provinces east of ...
to work with
Lin Biao
)
, serviceyears = 1925–1971
, branch = People's Liberation Army
, rank = Marshal of the People's Republic of China Lieutenant general of the National Revolutionary Army, Republic of China
, commands ...
and
Gao Gang
Gao Gang (; 1905 – August 1954) was a Communist Party of China (CPC) leader during the Chinese Civil War and the early years of the People's Republic of China (PRC), before becoming the victim of the first major purge within the CPC since befo ...
, but only as their subordinate with the titles of Minister of City Organization Department and acting Minister of Propaganda Department of Northeast Bureau of CCP.
After Liberation
After the establishment of
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
in 1949, Wang was appointed as first Chinese Ambassador to
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, and then Under Secretary of Foreign Ministry. In 1951 Wang was appointed as Minister of External Communication Department of CCP. Although Wang received another promotion in being elected as Commissioner and Secretariat of Central Committee of CCP in the 1st Plenary Meeting of 8th National Congress of CCP in 1956 and survived longer in political life than his close friend
Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian (; 30 August 1900 – 1 July 1976), also known as Luo Fu (), was a high-ranking leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Born in Nanhui, he attended the Hohai Civil Engineering School in Nanjing and spent a year at the Univer ...
, who was purged in the
Lushan Meeting in 1959, he still could not survive 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 goa ...
.
Wang's wife Zhu Zhongli (朱仲丽) used to be a nurse working for the army and once was assistant of Canadian doctor
Bethune who worked for
8th Route Army as an international volunteer. They lived together for several decades after marriage. Now Zhu is an active writer writing memoirs on
Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing (19 March 191414 May 1991), also known as Madame Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary, actress, and major political figure during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). She was the fourth wife of Mao Zedong, the Chairman of ...
and
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
.
References
External links
About Wang Jiaxiang from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
from China Daily
1962: The Eve of the Left Turn in China’s Foreign Policyby Niu Jun
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wang, Jiaxiang
1906 births
1974 deaths
Chinese Communist Party politicians from Anhui
Politicians from Xuancheng
Republic of China politicians from Anhui
People's Republic of China politicians from Anhui
Ambassadors of China to the Soviet Union
Moscow Sun Yat-sen University alumni
Members of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party
Institute of Red Professors alumni
People from Jing County, Anhui