Mao Zedong

The son of a peasant, Mao Zedong ((1893 - 1976)) was born in the village of Shao Shan, Hunan Province in China.

At the age of 27, Mao attended the First Congress of the Chinese Communist Party convened in Shanghai in July 1921. Two years later he was elected to the Central Committee of the Party at the Third Congress.

From 1931 to 1934, Mao helped establish the Chinese Soviet Republic in SE China, and was elected the chairman.

Starting in October 1934, "The Long March" began -- a retreat from the SE to NW China. In 1937, Japan launched a full-scaled war of aggression against China, which gave the Chinese Communist Party cause to unite with the nationalist forces of the Kuomintang. After defeating the Japanese, in an ensuing civil war, the Communists defeated the Kuomintang, and established the People's Republic of China in October 1949.

Mao served as Chairman of the People's Republic of China until after the failure of the Great Leap Forward in 1959. He initiated the Great Cultural Revolution in May 1966. Mao served as Party Chairman until his death in 1976.

Deng Xiaoping

A member of the Chinese Communist Party since his youth, Deng Xiaoping has rendered outstanding service to the Chinese people, throughout the revolution, during the development of the People's Republic and especially in recent years when, after the disastrous "cultural revolution", he succeeded in setting the country on the road to socialist modernization. he has proved to be far-sighted and persevering, a man of quick understanding and decisive action. the contribution he has made to the revolution, his courage as an innovator have earned his the trust of the Chinese people.

In his long career as a revolutionary Deng Xiaoping has enjoyed many victories and has also been through severe tests. On more than one occasion he was subjected to unjust attack simply because he refused to abandon correct views. this, however, only increase the respect in which he was h3eld, and ultimately he became the nation's chief policy-maker. the collective leadership which he now head has ushered China into a new historical period.

Jiang Zemin

Jiang Zemin resigned from his position as chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on September 19, 2004 at the Fourth Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee, proposing Hu Jintao to succeed.

Former Chairman Jiang Zemin's graceful resignation from the Communist Party of China's Central Military Commission determined he would be remembered with respect, in this country and beyond. Jiang's resignation was not only a respectable finale for his personal political career, but also a perfect finishing touch to what has been the smoothest leadership transition in modern China.

Jiang Zemin, after serving as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee for 13 years, bowed out of the Party Central Committee at the 16th CPC National Congress held in Beijing in November 2002. He went on to relinquish the state presidency he had held for 10 years at the annual full session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, in March 2003. Hu Jintao took over both positions.

Hu Jintao

Hu Jintao, is now formally in command of all the party, government and military of China, becoming the new head of China with a population of approximately 1.3 billion.

Hu Jintao, then general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was elected president of the People's Republic of China on March 15, 2003 at the first session of the 10th National People's Congress. He succeeded Jiang Zemin as chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Fourth Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee, which just concluded in Beijing Sunday, September 19, 2004.