Zhou Enlai
| Zhou Enlai | |
|---|---|
| 周恩來 | |
 |
|
| Premier of the People's Republic of China | |
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In office 1 October 1949 – 8 January 1976 |
|
| President |
Mao Zedong (until 1959) Liu Shaoqi (until 1968) vacant and abolished |
| Leader | Mao Zedong (Chairman of the Communist Party of China) |
| 1st vice-premier |
Dong Biwu Chen Yun Lin Biao Deng Xiaoping |
| Succeeded by | Hua Guofeng |
| Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China | |
|
In office 28 September 1956 – 1 August 1966 |
|
|
In office 30 August 1973 – 8 January 1976 |
|
| Chairman | Mao Zedong |
| 2nd Chairman of the National Committee Of the CPPCC | |
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In office December 1954 – 8 January 1976 |
|
| Honorary Chairman | Mao Zedong |
| Preceded by | Mao Zedong |
| Succeeded by | vacant (1976–1978) Deng Xiaoping |
| 1st Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China | |
|
In office 1949–1958 |
|
| Premier | Himself |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Chen Yi |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 March 1898 Huai'an, Jiangsu, Qing China |
| Died | 8 January 1976 (aged 77) Beijing, People's Republic of China |
| Political party | Communist Party of China |
| Spouse(s) | Deng Yingchao (m. 1925–76) |
| Children | Sun Weishi, Wang Shu (both adopted) |
| Alma mater | Nankai University |
| Occupation | Politician Strategist Revolutionary Diplomat |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Zhou Enlai | |||||||||||
.svg)
"Zhou Enlai" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
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| Simplified Chinese | 周恩来 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 周恩來 | ||||||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Zhōu Ēnlái |
| Wade–Giles | Chou1 En1-lai2 |
| IPA | [ʈʂóu ə́n.lǎi] |
Zhou Enlai (Chinese: 周恩来; Wade–Giles: Chou En-lai; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976. Zhou served under Chairman Mao Zedong and was instrumental in the Communist Party's rise to power, and later in consolidating its control, forming foreign policy, and developing the Chinese economy.
A skilled and able diplomat, Zhou served as the Chinese foreign minister from 1949 to 1958. Advocating peaceful coexistence with the West after the stalemated Korean War, he participated in the 1954 Geneva Conference and the 1955 Bandung Conference, and helped orchestrate Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China. He helped devise policies regarding the bitter disputes with the U.S., Taiwan, the Soviet Union (after 1960), India and Vietnam.
Zhou survived the purges of other top officials during the Cultural Revolution. While Mao dedicated most of his later years to political struggle and ideological work, Zhou was the main driving force behind the affairs of state during much of the Cultural Revolution. His attempts at mitigating the Red Guards' damage and his efforts to protect others from their wrath made him immensely popular in the Cultural Revolution's later stages.
As Mao Zedong's health began to decline in 1971 and 1972, Zhou struggled against the Gang of Four internally over leadership of China. Zhou's health was also failing, however, and he died eight months before Mao on 8 January 1976. The massive public outpouring of grief in Beijing turned to anger towards the Gang of Four, leading to the Tiananmen Incident. Although succeeded by Hua Guofeng, it was Deng Xiaoping, Zhou's ally, who was able to outmaneuver the Gang of Four politically and eventually take Mao's place as paramount leader by 1978.
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