Yi Chen Chinese military and political figure, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China from 1958 to 1972. Date of Birth: 26.08.1901 Country: China

Biography of Chen Yi

Chen Yi was a Chinese military and political figure, serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China from 1958 to 1972. He was born on August 26, 1901, in Lezhi, Leshan County, Sichuan Province, China, into a family of government officials.

At a young age, Chen Yi completed his secondary school education and attended a vocational school. From 1918 to 1921, he studied and worked in France as part of his professional education. While in France, he became associated with anarchists and was deported back to China for participating in a political demonstration by Chinese students.

In 1923, Chen Yi arrived in Beijing and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC). He engaged in revolutionary work among the youth in Beijing for about a year before moving to the revolutionary base in southern China. He received his education at Shanghai University and enrolled in the Military-Political School in Whampoa in 1926, where he met Zhou Enlai. In 1927, he became the secretary of the CPC committee at the Military-Political School in Whampoa under the Nationalist Government in Wuhan and participated in the Nanchang Uprising on August 1, 1927, against the Kuomintang army.

During the civil war, Chen Yi fought against Japanese aggression and commanded a division, later becoming the commander of the 1st Group of the New Fourth Army in 1937. In 1941, he became the commander of the New Fourth Army. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chen Yi held various positions, including member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and mayor of Shanghai.

Throughout his career, Chen Yi faced political challenges and criticism, particularly during the Cultural Revolution. He was subjected to attacks and criticism from radical factions within the Communist Party, but he managed to survive and continue serving in various capacities. Chen Yi played a significant role in shaping China's foreign policy and was known for his confrontational stance towards the Soviet Union.

Chen Yi passed away on January 6, 1972, in Beijing. He was given a state funeral attended by top leaders, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, representing the recognition of his contributions to the revolution. Chen Yi's legacy as a military and political figure remains a subject of debate and interpretation in contemporary Chinese history.