Zhao Bingjun () (1859 – February 26, 1914) was the third

premier of the Republic of China The Premier of the Republic of China, officially the President of the Executive Yuan ( Chinese: 行政院院長), is the head of the government of the Republic of China of Taiwan and leader of the Executive Yuan. The premier is nominally the ...

from 25 September 1912 to 1 May 1913. Zhao was previously a public security official during the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

and became minister of the interior during the republic before becoming premier. He was directly implicated in the assassination of

Song Jiaoren Song Jiaoren (, ; Given name at birth: Liàn 鍊; Courtesy name: Dùnchū 鈍初) (5 April 1882 – 22 March 1913) was a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang (KMT). Song Jiaoren led the KMT to elec ...

, the man most likely to be his successor. The murder was most likely ordered by the provisional president,

Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty and eventually ended the Qing dynasty rule of China in 1912, later becoming the Emperor of China. H ...

, who was angry that Song wanted to fill the cabinet with

Nationalists Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

that would obstruct Yuan's policies. Zhao protested his and Yuan's innocence but resigned to protect Yuan's government. He was made governor of Zhili. Zhao was mysteriously poisoned in 1914, most likely by Yuan to prevent him from leaking more details of Song's death to the press.

See also