''Yanhuang Chunqiu'' (), sometimes translated as ''China Through the Ages'', was a monthly journal in the
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 ...
commonly identified as liberal and reformist. It was started in 1991, with the support of
Xiao Ke
Xiao Ke (; July 14, 1907 – October 24, 2008) was a general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, former vice chairman of the CPPCC, as well as principal of the University of Military and Politics.
Biography Early life
Xiao was born in Jia ...
, a liberal general of the Chinese
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, ...
.
Du Daozheng served as the founding director of the publisher.
The traditional version of the journal was regarded as one of the most influential liberal journals in China, issuing some 200,000 copies per month.
It ceased its operations in 2016, however, due to the crackdown from
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, s ...
's administration–even though
Xi Zhongxun
Xi Zhongxun (15 October 1913 – 24 May 2002) was a Chinese communist revolutionary and a subsequent political official in the People's Republic of China. He is considered to be among the first and second generation of Chinese leadership. ...
, the father of Xi Jinping, had publicly supported the publisher.
A new management team with pro-Xi editors continue to make publications.
History
Founding
In 1990,
Xiao Ke
Xiao Ke (; July 14, 1907 – October 24, 2008) was a general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, former vice chairman of the CPPCC, as well as principal of the University of Military and Politics.
Biography Early life
Xiao was born in Jia ...
, a liberal General of the Chinese
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, ...
and standing member of the
Central Advisory Commission
The Central Advisory Commission () (CAC) was a body of the Chinese Communist Party that existed during the era of the paramount leadership of Deng Xiaoping. The body was supposed to provide "political assistance and consultation" to the Party' ...
, began to organize the launch of a history journal together with other officials.
In March 1991, the credentials for publication were approved, and in April all personnel of the publisher started to work in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
.
On July 1, 1991, the ''Yanhuang Chunqiu'' journal made its first issue.
Du Daozheng served as the founding director of the publisher.
In early 1992, after
Deng Xiaoping's southern tour, ''Yanhuang Chunqiu'' began to publish articles in support of the
Reforms and Opening-up program. In 2001,
Xi Zhongxun
Xi Zhongxun (15 October 1913 – 24 May 2002) was a Chinese communist revolutionary and a subsequent political official in the People's Republic of China. He is considered to be among the first and second generation of Chinese leadership. ...
, a leading reformist and father of
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, s ...
, publicly supported and praised the journal.
Political interference
In July 2010, ''Yanhuang Chunqiu'' published a memoir by retired
Politburo
A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states.
Names
The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contraction ...
member
Yang Rudai
Yang Rudai (; December 1926 – 24 February 2018) was a politician of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He served as the Communist Party Chief of Sichuan, then China's most populous province, and was the first native Sichuanese to become the ...
praising
Zhao Ziyang
Zhao Ziyang ( zh, 赵紫阳; pronounced , 17 October 1919 – 17 January 2005) was a Chinese politician. He was the third premier of the People's Republic of China from 1980 to 1987, vice chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 198 ...
. It marked a rare break of the long-standing taboo in China against mentioning the former leader since he was ousted after the
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests, known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident (), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, or in Chinese the June Fourth ...
.
In January 2013, ''Yanhuang Chunqiu'' website was temporarily shutdown by the Chinese government after it published an editorial urging the implementation of constitutional rights.
In July 2015, founding publisher Du Daozheng, had taken up the role of
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
, when
Yang Jisheng was forced to resign.
In connection with his resignation, Yang published two letters: the first explained the reasons for his resignation to the members of Yanhuang Chunqiu and its readers; the second was sent to the
General Administration of Press and Publication
General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP; ) is the administrative agency responsible for regulating and distributing news, print and Internet publications in China. This includes granting publication licenses for periodicals and book ...
and criticized intensified government restrictions on topics the journal was permitted to cover.
In 2016, China's media regulator, the
declared 37 recent news items in breach of political guidelines.
Closure of publication
Long considered influential among liberals and reformists, in July 2016, the entire editorial team resigned following the sacking of long-time publisher
Du Daozheng and demotion of chief editor Xu Qingquan, by order of the
Chinese National Academy of Arts, amid intensifying pressure from the authorities to soften its editorial stance. The magazine had been founded in 1991 by reform-minded party veterans, including the efforts of General
Xiao Ke
Xiao Ke (; July 14, 1907 – October 24, 2008) was a general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, former vice chairman of the CPPCC, as well as principal of the University of Military and Politics.
Biography Early life
Xiao was born in Jia ...
, and had a circulation of around 200,000.
[Outspoken liberal Chinese magazine Yanhuang Chunqiu stops publication after management purge](_blank)
SCMP, 18 July 2016
The July 2016 restrictions led the magazine’s editorial staff to announce that the magazine could no longer be published, as the academy had unilaterally abandoned an agreement allowing its publication within defined bounds. They further revealed that academy staff had seized control of the Yanhuang Chunqiu website at the magazine's offices. Nevertheless it appeared that publication would continue, under staff from the academy including Jia Leilei, its former vice-president.
''Radio Free Asia'', 18 July 2016
After he was dismissed, Du announced that the publication had been suspended,
and said the closure resembled methods used in 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 ...
.
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
1991 establishments in China
2016 disestablishments in China
Chinese-language magazines
Monthly magazines published in China
Political magazines published in China
Defunct magazines published in China
Defunct political magazines
Magazines established in 1991
Magazines disestablished in 2016