Yang Dezhong (Chinese: 杨德中; 1 December 1923 – 12 November 2020) was a general in the People's Liberation Army of China who served as party secretary of Tsinghua University from 1970 to 1972 and director of the Central Guard Bureau from 1978 to 1994.

Yang Dezhong
杨德中
Director of the Central Guard Bureau
In office
December 1978 – August 1994
Preceded byWang Dongxing
Succeeded byYou Xigui
Communist Party Secretary of Tsinghua University
In office
January 1970 – January 1972
PresidentZhang Rongwen
Preceded byJiang Nanxiang [zh]
Succeeded byChi Qun [zh]
Political Commissar of the Central Guard Regiment
In office
June 1953 – February 1974
CommanderZhang Yaoci [zh]
Preceded byNew title
Succeeded byWu Jianhua
Personal details
Born(1923-12-01)1 December 1923
Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Died12 November 2020(2020-11-12) (aged 96)
Beijing, China
Political partyChinese Communist Party
Alma materCounter-Japanese Military and Political University
Military service
Allegiance People's Republic of China
Branch/service People's Liberation Army Ground Force
Years of service1938–1994
Rank General
Battles/warsSecond Sino-Japanese War
Chinese Civil War
Awards Order of Liberation (2nd Class; 1955)
Order of Independence and Freedom (3rd Class; 1955)
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYáng Dézhōng

He was a member of the 12th, 13th and 14th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

Biography

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Yang was born into an intellectual family in Xi'an, Shaanxi, on 1 December 1923, while his ancestral home in Weinan. He attended Xi'an Provincial No. 1 High School and graduated from the Counter-Japanese Military and Political University. He became a member of the Chinese National Liberation Vanguard in 1936. He enlisted in the Eighth Route Army in 1938, and joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at the same year.[1][2] During the Second Sino-Japanese War, he participated in the Battle of Qingkou and the Battle of South Shandong [zh].[1][2] During the Chinese Civil War, he engaged in the Battle of Laiwu [zh], Battle of Wei County [zh], Battle of Jinan, Huaihai campaign, and Yangtze River Crossing campaign.[1][2]

He was political commissar of the Central Guard Regiment in June 1953, and held that office until February 1974.[1][2] He also served as deputy director of the Central Guard Bureau since 1965. During the Cultural Revolution in July 1968, he marched the Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Team [zh] to stabilize the situation of Tsinghua University. As a result of his distinguished performance, he was made party secretary of Tsinghua University. He was appointed director of the Central Guard Bureau in December 1978, in addition to serving as deputy director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party in September 1980 and director of the Security Bureau of the People's Liberation Army General Staff Department in January 1983.[1][2]

He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general (zhongjiang) in September 1988 and general (shangjiang) in 1994.[1][2]

On 12 November 2020, he died in Beijing, at the age of 96.[1][2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Jiao Peng (焦鹏) (1 December 2020). 杨德中同志逝世. xinhuanet.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Meng Zhiliang (孟植良); Ma Chang (马昌) (1 December 2020). 杨德中同志逝世. people.com.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 9 August 2022.
Military offices
New title Political Commissar of the Central Guard Regiment
1953–1974
Succeeded by
Wu Jianhua (武健华)
Preceded by Director of the Central Guard Bureau
1978–1994
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Communist Party Secretary of Tsinghua University
1970–1972
Succeeded by