Zhou Enlai

Premiership

In 1949, with the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Zhou became Premier and Foreign Minister. Asked about the impact of the French Revolution of 1789 he replied, "It is too soon to say." In June 1953, he made the five declarations for peace. He headed the communist Chinese delegation to the Geneva Conference and to the Bandung Conference (1955). He also survived the murder attempt by Taiwanese agent when he went to Bandung. The Taiwanese agents had planted a bomb, MK7 made in America, on a plane that was supposed to be Zhou's plane. But Zhou Enlai later changed his schedule and flew with another plane. The plot killed sixteen innocent plane passengers.In 1958, he passed the post of Foreign Minister to Chen Yi but remained Premier.

Related Topics:
1949 - People's Republic of China - French Revolution - 1789 - June - 1953 - Geneva Conference - Bandung Conference - 1955 - 1958 - Chen Yi

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Zhou's first major domestic focus after becoming premier was China's economy, at an ill stage after decades of war. He aimed at increased agricultural production, from the even distribution of land. Industrial progress was also on his to-do list.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1958, Mao Zedong began the Great Leap Forward, aimed at increasing China's production levels in industry and agriculture with unrealistic targets. As a popular and practical administrator, Zhou maintained his position through the Leap. The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) was a great blow to Zhou. At its late stages in 1975, he pushed for the "four modernizations" to undo the damage caused from the campaigns.

Related Topics:
1958 - Mao Zedong - Great Leap Forward - Cultural Revolution - 1966 - 1976 - 1975 - Four modernizations

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Known as an able diplomat, Zhou was largely responsible for the re-establishment of contacts with the West in the early 1970s. He welcomed US President Richard Nixon to China in February 1972, and signed the Shanghai Communiqué.

Related Topics:
1970s - Richard Nixon - 1972 - Shanghai Communiqué

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Discovering he had cancer, he began to pass many of his responsibilities onto Deng Xiaoping. During the late stages of the Cultural Revolution, Zhou was the target of the Gang of Four's political campaigns.

Related Topics:
Cancer - Deng Xiaoping - Cultural Revolution - Gang of Four

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Zhou is widely seen by many to have had a moderating influence on some of the worst excesses of Mao's regime, although he did not wield the power necessary to bring about major changes to policy. It has been suggested that he used his powers to protect some of China's oldest religious and royalist sites from the rampages of Mao's Red Guards. There is no doubt however that he was fundamentally a believer in the Communist ideal on which modern China was founded.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~