Biography of Zhang Wentian - (Revised Edition)

Author: Cheng Zhongyuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Zhang Wentian (1900–1976), a native of Shanghai Pudong, was an outstanding revolutionary leader of the working class and an exceptional Marxist theorist, as well as one of the key leaders of the Communist Party of China during a long period. At the famous Zunyi Conference held during the well-known Long March, he was elected to take overall responsibility for the Central Committee of the Communist Party, commonly referred to as General Secretary, until he left the core leadership of the Central Committee after the Yan'an Rectification Campaign. After the War of Resistance Against Japan, he worked on local issues in Northeast China and proposed the theory of five economic components. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as the Special Envoy and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of China to the Soviet Union and the Executive Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, working alongside Zhou Enlai to lay the groundwork for China's foreign relations. At the Lushan Conference in 1959, he spoke out against the "Leftist" errors of the "Great Leap Forward" and the people's commune movement, advocating for the development of intra-Party democracy, and was subjected to unfair criticism. During the Cultural Revolution, he suffered persecution and was exiled to Lingnan, where he still wrote extensively on major theoretical issues such as socialist economy and politics, offering in-depth and insightful explorations. The Biography of Zhang Wentian was one of the important tasks undertaken by the editorial team responsible for compiling the selected works of Zhang Wentian, approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The book was written by Cheng Zhongyuan, a member of the editorial team. The author strives to make this book a reliable historical account with comprehensive and impartial evaluations. Under the guidance of the team leader and with the support of all team members, the author spent eight years collecting, organizing, and researching historical materials on Zhang Wentian, reviewing a large number of archival documents, and interviewing numerous relatives, comrades, subordinates, and students of Zhang Wentian. Based on abundant first-hand materials and incorporating research findings from academia, the book was completed over three and a half years. Comrade Chen Yun wrote the book title.