Wang Jingwei: An Illustrated Biography

Author: Wen Shaohua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Wang Jingwei, also known as Zhao Ming and Ji Xin, styled Jingwei (1883–1944), was of Shanyin (now Shaoxing) origin in Zhejiang and was born in Sanshui, Guangdong. In his early years, he joined the Tongmenghui. In March 1910, he conspired to assassinate the Regent Zaoyang, was arrested after the plot was exposed, and composed a poem in prison titled "With a Stroke of the Knife, I Achieve Vengeance, Unworthy of My Youth's Head," which was widely circulated at the time. He was released after the Wuchang Uprising. He once served as the editor-in-chief of the Minbao newspaper. In 1924, he was elected as a Central Executive Committee member of the Kuomintang and served as Minister of Propaganda. In July 1925, the Guangdong National Government was established, and he was elected as its Executive Committee Chairman and Chairman of the Military Council. In July 1927, he launched the July 15th Incident in Wuhan. After the convergence of the Ningbo, Shanghai, and Hankou factions, he served as a member of the Nanjing National Government. In May 1931, he joined anti-Jiang factions in establishing another National Government in Guangzhou, which opposed the Nanjing National Government. After the September 18th Incident, Jiang and Wang formed a joint government, with Wang serving as Minister of Administration. Upon the outbreak of the War of Resistance, he became Vice Chairman of the National Defense High Council and Vice Chairman of the Kuomintang, ranking second only to Chiang Kai-shek. On December 29, 1938, he sent the "Yan Telegram," stating that Japan's "demands for no territory in China" and "respect for China's sovereignty" could enable China "to achieve independence" and that the three principles of "mutual good-neighborly relations, joint anti-communism, and economic cooperation" should be exchanged with the Japanese government "to restore peace." He openly defended Japan's aggression and surrendered to Japan. On March 10, 1940, he established a pseudonymous "National Government" in Nanjing, serving as Minister of Administration, Chairman of the "National Government," and Chairman of the National Defense High Council of the Central Political Committee. On November 10, 1944, Wang died in Nagoya, Japan.