Xi Zhongxun

Xi Zhongxun (October 15, 1913 – May 24, 2002) was a communist revolutionary and a political leader in the People's Republic of China. He is considered to be among the first generation of Chinese leadership. The contributions he made to the Chinese communist revolution and the development of the People's Republic, from the founding of Communist guerrilla bases in the northwestern China in the 1930s to initiation of economic liberalization in the southern China in the 1980s, are numerous and broad. He was known for political moderation and for the setbacks he endured in his career. He was imprisoned and purged several times. Xi is also known as the father of Xi Jinping, the current General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of China.

Early life and education

Xi was born on October 15, 1913, to a land-owning family, in rural Fuping County, Shaanxi. He joined the Chinese Communist Youth League in May 1926 and took part in student demonstrations in the spring of 1928, for which he was imprisoned by the ruling Nationalist authorities. In prison, he joined the Communist Party of China in 1928.