Mao Yuanxin
Encyclopedia
Mao Yuanxin (born February 14, 1941) was the liaison between Chinese leader Mao Zedong
and the Communist Party's Central Committee in the former's ailing years, when he was no longer able to regularly attend political functions. He was Mao Zedong's nephew and considered an ally to the hardline political faction known as the Gang of Four
, and was arrested soon after Mao's death after a political struggle ensued and sentenced to prison.
, a younger brother of Mao Zedong. Mao Zemin had joined the Communist Party in 1922 and was killed by a warlord in 1943. Sheng Shicai
, governor of Xinjiang
, had been aligned to the Chinese Communist Party and had at first welcomed Mao Zemin, but switched allegiance after Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Mao Yuanxin's mother was also arrested, and Yuanxin was born in jail. After Mao Yuanxin's mother remarried, he was brought up as part of his uncle's family.
In 1960, Mao Yuanxin was admitted to Tsinghua University
, then transferred to the PLA Institute of Military Engineering
and became politically important during the Cultural Revolution
. In 1973 he became party secretary of Liaoning
province and political commissar of Shenyang
Military Region in 1974. Mao was ailing from complications of Alzheimer's Disease and was no longer able to attend Central Committee meetings on a regular basis. As a result, Mao Yuanxin became the Chairman's liaison with the Politburo in 1975, and contributed to the temporary fall of Deng Xiaoping
in 1976, as well as a series of other political manuoevers of the Gang of Four
. http://library.thinkquest.org/26469/cultural-revolution/revival.html
During Mao Zedong's final years, it was clear Mao Yuanxin had a close relationship with the 'Gang of Four
'. He was arrested along with other of their supporters following Mao's death in October 1976, and was sentenced to seventeen years in prison. Mao's private doctor, Li Zhisui
, claimed Mao Yuanxin tried to bring troops from the Northeast to Beijing.
Mao Yuanxin faded from public view after the end of the Cultural Revolution. Little is known about him in the West. For example, Time Magazine reported in 1995 that he "now labors in an obscure Shanghai factory". He had been released from prison in October 1993 after serving his sentence. He changed his name to "Li Shi" (李实) and worked in the Shanghai Automobile Industry Quality Testing Institute. He retired in 2001, and receives a pension in accordance with his "senior technician" qualification. He also receives treatment as a "martyr's family member" because of his father's manner of death.
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
and the Communist Party's Central Committee in the former's ailing years, when he was no longer able to regularly attend political functions. He was Mao Zedong's nephew and considered an ally to the hardline political faction known as the Gang of Four
Gang of Four
The Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
, and was arrested soon after Mao's death after a political struggle ensued and sentenced to prison.
Biography
Born on February 14, 1941, Mao Yuanxin is the son of Mao ZeminMao Zemin
Mao Zemin , also using Zhoubin as his alias, was born in Xiangtan, Hunan province. He was the head of the state bank of the Red State in Ruijin and also the Minister of National Economic Department. He was a younger brother of Mao Zedong , and joined the Communist Party of China early on...
, a younger brother of Mao Zedong. Mao Zemin had joined the Communist Party in 1922 and was killed by a warlord in 1943. Sheng Shicai
Sheng Shicai
Sheng Shicai was a Chinese warlord who "ruled" Xinjiang province from April 12, 1933 to August 29, 1944....
, governor of Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, had been aligned to the Chinese Communist Party and had at first welcomed Mao Zemin, but switched allegiance after Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Mao Yuanxin's mother was also arrested, and Yuanxin was born in jail. After Mao Yuanxin's mother remarried, he was brought up as part of his uncle's family.
In 1960, Mao Yuanxin was admitted to Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
, then transferred to the PLA Institute of Military Engineering
Harbin Engineering University
Harbin Engineering University was founded in 1953, in Harbin, China. It used to host the PLA Military Engineering Institute, China's foremost institute in that field. Following the deterioration of China's relations with the USSR after the Sino-Soviet border conflict, it divided into six...
and became politically important during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
. In 1973 he became party secretary of Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
province and political commissar of Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
Military Region in 1974. Mao was ailing from complications of Alzheimer's Disease and was no longer able to attend Central Committee meetings on a regular basis. As a result, Mao Yuanxin became the Chairman's liaison with the Politburo in 1975, and contributed to the temporary fall of Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
in 1976, as well as a series of other political manuoevers of the Gang of Four
Gang of Four
The Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
. http://library.thinkquest.org/26469/cultural-revolution/revival.html
During Mao Zedong's final years, it was clear Mao Yuanxin had a close relationship with the 'Gang of Four
Gang of Four
The Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
'. He was arrested along with other of their supporters following Mao's death in October 1976, and was sentenced to seventeen years in prison. Mao's private doctor, Li Zhisui
Li Zhisui
Li Zhisui was Mao Zedong's personal physician and confidante. After immigrating to the United States, he wrote a biography of his experiences with Mao entitled The Private Life of Chairman Mao .Weeks after he announced on a TV interview that he was going to write another memoir, Li died of a...
, claimed Mao Yuanxin tried to bring troops from the Northeast to Beijing.
Mao Yuanxin faded from public view after the end of the Cultural Revolution. Little is known about him in the West. For example, Time Magazine reported in 1995 that he "now labors in an obscure Shanghai factory". He had been released from prison in October 1993 after serving his sentence. He changed his name to "Li Shi" (李实) and worked in the Shanghai Automobile Industry Quality Testing Institute. He retired in 2001, and receives a pension in accordance with his "senior technician" qualification. He also receives treatment as a "martyr's family member" because of his father's manner of death.
External links
- Role mentioned in the obituary of Ren ZhongyiRen ZhongyiRen Zhongyi was a Chinese politician.-Biography:Ren was born in Wei, Handan, Hebei, China. He was a leader in China's reform period since the late 1970s. He is widely regarded as the bold reformer who led Guangdong to come 'one step ahead' in China's reform...
- Role mentioned in 'Rise and Fall of Deng Xiaoping' in an on-line history of the Cultural Revolution