Zhao Ziyang

(1919–2005)

   Served as premier of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from 1980 until 1987 and then general secretary of the party. A successful administrator and effective economic policy maker, he achieved note outside of China primarily through his stand against the violent repression of the Tiananmen Square protests. Born in Henan province Zhao joined the Young Communist League at the age of 13 in 1932 and the Chinese Communist Party in 1938. He rose to become first secretary of the Guangdong area party organization, but was purged during the Cultural Revolution. Rehabilitated, he became chief administrator of Sichuan province in 1975, a full member of the Politburo in 1979 and premier of the PRC in 1980. He resigned as premier and became general secretary of the party in 1987, and was ousted from this position in 1989 during the pro-democracy demonstrations. Arguing for a moderate line against the student protestors in Tiananmen Square he defied party discipline when he was voted down and went to meet the protestors. He was forced to retire from public life, prohibited from speaking in public, and had his traveling restricted, but was allowed to retain his comfortable lifestyle until his death.