Leading generations in the People's Republic of China

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The term leadership generations in the People's Republic of China ( Chinese  八大 元老 , Pinyin Bā dà yuán lǎo or short Chinese  八 老 , Pinyin Bā lǎo ) implies a succession of military and political leaders who were or are about the same age. It has been used in the West since the 1970s. Since both the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army normally promote according to age, it is possible to divide Chinese leaders into generations.

The idea of leadership generations has established itself on the political stage since Deng Xiaoping's successful implementation and is generally recognized in Sinology .

First generation

The most important leader of the first generation was Mao Zedong (1893–1976). With Zhou Enlai (1898–1976), Zhu De (1886–1976), Chen Yun (1905–1995), Liu Shaoqi (1898–1969) he formed the group of the "Big Five". The officers Peng Dehuai (1898–1974) and Lin Biao (1907–1971) were also important. Born mostly in the 1890s, this party and state ruled until 1976.

They are the founders of the People's Republic of China . Most of them have never been abroad and were marked by the Long March, the Anti-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. Others, like Zhou Enlai, had an education in the West.

Second generation

The second generation leader was Deng Xiaoping (1904–1997). Chen Yun (1905–1995), Hu Yaobang (1915–1989), Zhao Ziyang (1919–2005) and Hua Guofeng (1921–2008) grouped around him . This generation of those born between 1900 and 1921 ruled from 1976 to 1992.

The most influential leaders during the 1980s included Yang Shangkun (1907–1998), Wang Zhen (1908–1993), Li Xiannian (1909–1992), Peng Zhen (1902–1997), Bo Yibo (1908–2007).

They were also involved in the communist takeover, but in subordinate roles. Many of them went to study abroad.

This group of people was characterized by close connections to one another through shared experiences. The majority of them took part in the “ Long March ” from 1934 to 1935. They belonged to the group of cultural revolution losers . They supported each other in the overthrow of the Gang of Four and withdrew political power from Hua Guofeng. They all felt bound by Deng Xiaoping's Four Basic Principles . All but Deng and Zhao Ziyang were conservatives. The hard core of this generation is referred to as The Eight Immortals of the Chinese Communist Party based on mythological figures .

Third generation

The third generation included men like Jiang Zemin (* 1926) and his rival Li Peng (1928–2019), as well as Li Ruihuan (* 1934), Qiao Shi (1924–2015) and Zhu Rongji (* 1928). They were born in the 1920s and ruled from 1992 to 2003.

Other important people were Yao Yilin (1917–1994), Wan Li (1916–2015) and Song Ping (* 1917).

This group was more heterogeneous than the previous ones. The members were much more pragmatic than the first generation of leaders and did not place so much emphasis on ideological issues. In addition, many of them had already gained experience at the provincial level. Many of them fought in the second Sino-Japanese war .

These leaders were born before the Communist seizure of power and were shaped before the rift with the Soviet Union . Many of them were trained to be engineers and managers in the Soviet Union. You experienced the Korean War  - often personally - with. Many of them were sponsored by the first and second generation of management.

Fourth generation

The fourth generation around Hu Jintao (* 1942), former general secretary and president, was in power from 2003 to 2013. They include the former Prime Minister Wen Jiabao (* 1942), the former Vice President Zeng Qinghong (* 1939), the former President of Parliament Wu Bangguo (* 1941), Jia Qinglin (* 1940), Zeng Qinghong (* 1939) and Li Changchun ( * 1944).

These leaders came to power after the 16th Party Congress. Most of them are engineers born in the 1940s whose training was interrupted during the Cultural Revolution . It is noticeable that this generation spent little time abroad.

Fifth generation

The fifth generation around Xi Jinping (* 1953) as General Secretary and President and Li Keqiang as Prime Minister (* 1955) includes Wang Qishan (* 1948), Vice President Li Yuanchao (* 1950), Vice Premier Wang Yang (* 1955) and Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli (* 1946). Until his dismissal in March 2012, Bo Xilai (* 1949) was also considered a leading member of this generation.

After they had advanced to top positions at the 17th Party Congress in 2007, they took on leadership positions after the 18th Party Congress in March 2013. In this generation there are fewer engineers, but more financial experts, lawyers and entrepreneurs. Many of this generation were educated at elite universities in the United States . In their childhood or youth they witnessed the cultural revolution . Some politicians are called "little princes" or princeling (English princeling ) because they are children of previous high-ranking cadres. This applies e.g. B. for Xi Jinping as the son of the former Vice Prime Minister and Governor of Guangdong Xi Zhongxun or Bo Xilai as the son of the former top politician Bo Yibo .

At the beginning of 2014, documents from the so-called offshore leak revealed that members of the leading families in tax havens had accumulated assets of around 4 trillion dollars since 2000.

Sixth generation

This generation was typically born in the 1960s or early 1970s and is still in middle positions. Most of them were born after the Great Leap Campaign famine and were unaware of the Cultural Revolution . Members of this generation have a more nationalistic attitude than their predecessors. Many of them were educated at elite universities in the United States . They include Hu Chunhua .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ since William Whitson's book The Chinese High Command from 1973, see literature
  2. ↑ Almost like Mao Zeit Online from March 25, 2012 (accessed April 25, 2012)
  3. ↑ Spiegel online: Tax havens: China's powerful people allegedly made fortunes in the Caribbean , January 21, 2014
  4. ↑ The guardian: China's princelings storing riches in Caribbean offshore haven , January 21, 2014

literature

  • William Whitson: The Chinese High Command . Macmillan, London 1973, ISBN 0-333-15053-8 .
  • Jonathan D. Spence: China's Path to Modernity. Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-446-16284-4 .
  • Cheng Li: China's Leaders: The New Generation. Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham 2000, ISBN 0-8476-9497-6 .
  • Joseph Fewsmith: China since Tienanmen . Columbia University Press, New York 2001, ISBN 0-521-00105-6 .

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