Luo Zhi (; also Lo Zu; Benson 1990: 175 1915 – 1949), born Luo Changsheng (罗长生), was a revolutionary activist and leader in

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwes ...

just prior to the

Incorporation of Xinjiang into the People's Republic of China The incorporation of Second East Turkestan Republic/Xinjiang into the People's Republic of China in 1949, known in Chinese historiography as the Peaceful Liberation of Xinjiang, refers to the takeover of the Republic of China's Xinjiang Provinc ...

in 1949.

Early life

Luo Zhi was born Luo Changsheng in Yuangang Village, Yanghe Township in what is today

Gaoming District Gaoming District, formerly romanized as Koming, is an urban district of Foshan, Guangdong, in the People's Republic of China. Gaoming is located west of downtown Foshan and had a population of 420,044 during the 2010 census. It covers an are ...

Foshan Foshan (, ), alternately romanized as Fatshan, is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. The entire prefecture covers and had a population of 9,498,863 as of the 2020 census. The city is part of the western side of the ...

City in

Guangdong Province Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

in 1915.(Chinese
佛山市高明区历史志-罗志
Last Accessed 2013-01-19 In 1924, he accompanied his uncle to

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...

to pursue studies in

Changchun Changchun (, ; ), also romanized as Ch'angch'un, is the capital and largest city of Jilin Province, People's Republic of China. Lying in the center of the Songliao Plain, Changchun is administered as a , comprising 7 districts, 1 county and 3 ...

. After the Mukden Incident, he changed his name to Luo Zhi and joined the Northeast Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army to fight against Japanese rule. In the winter of 1932, he retreated to 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, ...

. In 1933, he re-entered China and went to Dihua (now Urumqi). In 1935, he studied at

Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of 2 ...

in the Soviet Union before continuing his studies in the politico-economy depart of the Xinjiang Academy, where he was exposed to Marxist-Leninist theories. From 1939 to 1942, he taught at a teacher’s college and middle school in northern Xinjiang and was twice arrested for activism against Chinese Nationalist rule.

Activism in Xinjiang

In 1945, Luo Zhi joined the Xinjiang Communist Alliance (新疆共产主义同盟), which in cooperation with the

Three Districts Revolution The Ili Rebellion () (Üch Wiläyt inqilawi) was a Uyghur separatist movement backed by the Soviet Union against the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China in 1944. After the start of the rebellion, the rebels established the Provisio ...

, established the Democratic Revolutionary Party (民主革命党) in Xinjiang. Luo Zhi was elected to the central committee of the party and secretary of the Dihua chapter. In Dihua, he worked to lay the ground for the

Chinese Communist 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 ...

takeover of the region from the Chinese Nationalists. In August 1949, he was one of five representatives invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the

Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, zh, 中国人民政治协商会议), also known as the People's PCC (, ) or simply the PCC (), is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of ...

to be held 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 ...

in September. On August 27, the entire Xinjiang delegation led by

Ehmetjan Qasimi Ehmetjan Qasim ( ug, ئەخمەتجان قاسىمى; April 15, 1914 – August 27, 1949) was the president of the Second East Turkestan Republic.劉學銚，新疆史論，知書房，2013年2月，，第192頁杜榮坤、紀大椿、任一飛� ...

perished in an airplane crash in the

. Starr 2004: 86 On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded. Nationalists authorities surrendered to the Chinese Communists and the Three Districts’ authorities also joined the Chinese Communists. Luo Zhi along with the other delegation members, Ehmetjan Qasimi,

Abdulkerim Abbas Abdulkerim Abbas, also Abdul Kerim Abbas, Abdulkerim Abbasoff, 'Abd al-Karīm 'Abbās (1921 – 27 August 1949), was a Uyghur leader in Xinjiang, China during the 20th century. He helped lead the Ili Rebellion of 1944, which led to the foundi ...

, Ishaq Beg and

Dalelkhan Sugirbayev Dalelkhan Sugirbayev, also Dālil Khan, Delilhan, Delilhan Sugurbayoglu or Talilhan Sukurbayeff Forbes 1986203/ref> ( zh, s=达列力汗·苏古尔巴也夫, t=達列力汗·蘇古爾巴也夫, p=Dálièlìhàn·Sūgŭěrbāyěfū; ug, دەلىل ...

, were hailed by

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) ...

as martyrs of the

Chinese Communist Revolution The Chinese Communist Revolution, officially known as the Chinese People's War of Liberation in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and also known as the National Protection War against the Communist Rebellion in the Republic of China (ROC ...

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Luo, Zhi People from Foshan Year of birth uncertain 1949 deaths Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the Soviet Union China–Soviet Union relations Chinese communists Political office-holders in Xinjiang 1915 births Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1949