Chen Qiaonian (2 September 1902 – 6 June 1928) was a Chinese revolutionary and early leader of the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

Biography

Chen was born in Anqing Prefecture,

Anhui Anhui is an inland Provinces of China, province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiang ...

, on 2 September 1902, to

Chen Duxiu Chen Duxiu ( zh, t=陳獨秀, p=Chén Dúxiù, w=Ch'en Tu-hsiu; 9 October 1879 – 27 May 1942) was a Chinese revolutionary, writer, educator, and political philosopher who co-founded the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1921, serving as its fi ...

, a revolutionary socialist, educator, philosopher and author, who co-founded the Communist Party with

Li Dazhao Li Dazhao or Li Ta-chao (October 29, 1889 – April 28, 1927) was a Chinese intellectual and revolutionary who participated in the New Culture Movement in the early years of the Republic of China, established in 1912. He co-founded the Chinese Co ...

in 1921. His siblings were, in order of birth: Chen Yannian, Chen Songnian and Chen Yuying. In 1915, he went to study in Shanghai with his elder brother. Soon after, the two brothers were accepted to

Aurora University Aurora University (AU) is a private university in Aurora, Illinois, United States. Established in 1893 as a seminary of the Advent Christian Church, the university has been independent since 1971. Approximately 6,200 students are enrolled in t ...

. In December 1919, under the influence of the

May Fourth Movement The May Fourth Movement was a Chinese cultural and anti-imperialist political movement which grew out of student protests in Beijing on May 4, 1919. Students gathered in front of Tiananmen to protest the Chinese government's weak response ...

, the two brothers went to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

to study under a work-study programme. In the winter of 1922, with the approval of the

Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, officially the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is the Central committee, highest organ when the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, national congress is not ...

, the two brother joined the

(CCP). In March 1923, Chen and others left France for the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

to study at the Oriental Communist University in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. Chen returned to China in the winter of 1924 and was appointed director of the Organization Department of the

CCP Beijing Municipal Committee The Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party is the municipal committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing. The CCP committee secretary is the highest ranking post in the city. The current secretary is Yin Li, a m ...

. In February 1925, he set up a printing factory in Beijing to print books and periodicals on

communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...

. In October 1925, the CCP Northern District Committee was established, Li Dazhao served as party chief, and Chen served as director of the Organization Department. After the opening of the Party School of the Northern District Party Committee in October 1925, he taught

Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...

, class struggle, party building, world revolutionary situation and the general situation of the international communist movement. In the second half of 1926, Chen was ordered to leave

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

to work in the

south China South China ( zh, s=, p=Huá'nán, j=jyut6 naam4) is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is ...

. From April 27 to May 11, 1927, the

5th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party The 5th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was convened from April 27 to May 9, 1927, in Wuhan, China. It was held right after the Shanghai Massacre of Communists and sympathizers. The Republic of China was the official government ...

was held in

Wuhan Wuhan; is the capital of Hubei, China. With a population of over eleven million, it is the most populous city in Hubei and the List of cities in China by population, eighth-most-populous city in China. It is also one of the nine National cent ...

, he attended the meeting and was elected a member of the Central Committee. He was made deputy director of the Organization Department of the CCP. At the August 7th Meeting of the CCP, he seriously criticized his father Chen Duxiu's right opportunistic mistakes. Later, he was appointed director of the Organization Department of the CCP Hubei Provincial Committee. In the winter of 1927, Chen was transferred to

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

as director of the Organization Department of the CCP Jiangsu Provincial Committee. On 16 February 1928, the CCP Jiangsu Provincial Committee held a secret meeting at the North Chengdu Road in the British Concession. Chen presided over the meeting. As the traitor Tang Ruilin () betrayed, the Kuomintang police suddenly encircled the meeting site, and Chen and the leading comrades of the CCP Jiangsu Provincial Committee were arrested. On 6 June 1928, Kuomintang police shot Chen by the Fenglin Bridge in Shanghai. and died with him.

Personal life

Chen married Shi Jingyi (), the couple had a son and a daughter, their son named Chen Hongwu (), but died young. Their daughter was named Chen Hong ().

Monuments

There is a road named "Yanqiao Road" () after him and his elder brother Chen Yannian in

Hefei Hefei is the Capital city, capital of Anhui, China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural center of Anhui. Its population was 9,369,881 as of the 2020 census. Its built-up (or ''metro'') area is made up of four u ...

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Qiaonian 1902 births 1928 deaths People from Anqing Republic of China politicians from Anhui Chinese Communist Party politicians from Anhui Members of the 5th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party