WikipediaExtracts:Xi Zhongxun
Extracted from Wikipedia --
Xi Zhongxun (Chinese: 习仲勋; pinyin: Xí Zhòngxūn; 15 October 1913 – 24 May 2002) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and politician who played a significant role in the history of the People's Republic of China. He was a member of the influential Eight Elders in the 1980s, and is the father of Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party since 2012.
Born in Shaanxi to a land-owning family, Xi joined the Communist Youth League of China in 1926. After participating in revolutionary activities, he was sent to prison, where he joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He participated in the Shaanxi–Gansu (Shaangan) Border Region Soviet Area and became the Chairman of the Soviet Government, later holding key positions in the Northwest Revolutionary Base. In 1935, Xi was arrested as part of a purge of alleged rightists, but was released following Mao Zedong's arrival in the Long March. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Xi Zhongxun occupied several pivotal roles in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and Northwest China. In 1945, he became the head of the Northwest Bureau. Following the restart of the Chinese Civil War, Xi maintained a pivotal position in the Northwest region.
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Xi was designated as a member of the Central People's Government and the Second Secretary of the CCP Northwest Bureau, managing all significant party, government, and military matters in the Northwest region. He served as the first Secretary-General of the State Council from 1954 to 1965 and Vice Premier of the State Council from 1959 to 1965. Li Jiantong's novel Liu Zhidan led to his political downfall, and he was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution. He was politically cleared in 1978, being appointed to afterwards Guangdong, becoming its Party Secretary from 1978 to 1980. In there, Xi pioneered China's first special economic zones. He served as the Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1980 to 1983, overseeing legal reforms. In 1982, he became a Secretariat Member, where he often focused on ethnic minority policies and religion policies. He again served as the NPCSC Vice Chairman from 1988 to 1993, afterwards retiring in Guangdong. He returned to Beijing in 2002 where he passed away.
Recognized as a key figure in both the first and second generations of Chinese leadership, Xi played a pivotal role in the Chinese Communist revolution and the development of the People's Republic. His contributions spanned from establishing Communist guerrilla bases in northwestern China in the 1930s to pioneering economic liberalization in southern China in the 1980s. Known for his political moderation, Xi endured multiple purges and periods of imprisonment throughout his career, yet remained a steadfast advocate for reform and pragmatic governance.
