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Chou En-Lai

Zhou Enlai
周恩來
Zhou Enlai MeiyuanXincun17 Nanjing 1946.jpg
Zhou at Nanjing in 1946
1st Premier of the People's Republic of China
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
1st Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China
In office
1 October 1949 – 11 February 1958
Premier Himself
Preceded by None
Succeeded by Chen Yi
2nd Chairman of the National Committee Of the CPPCC
In office
December 1954 – 8 January 1976
Honorary Chairman Mao Zedong
Preceded by Mao Zedong
Succeeded by vacant (1976–1978)
Deng Xiaoping
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
Personal details
Born (1898-03-05)5 March 1898
Huai'an, Jiangsu, Qing China
Died 8 January 1976(1976-01-08) (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
Zhou Enlai (Chinese characters).svg
"Zhou Enlai" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese 周恩来
Traditional Chinese 周恩來

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 along with 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 Hua's place as paramount leader by 1978.


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