Liao Chengzhi

Liao Chengzhi was born on September 25, 1908, in Tokyo, Japan, with ancestral roots in Huiyang, Guangdong. His parents were both revolutionary pioneers; his father was the renowned revolutionary Liao Zhongkai, and his mother was He Xiangning. With a strong family background, he was deeply influenced in his early years by revolutionary ideas. During his youth, Liao Chengzhi engaged in revolutionary activities in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Japan, absorbing ideas of national and democratic liberalism.

In August 1924, Liao Chengzhi joined the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang). The following year, he participated in the Guangzhou student movement and led a workers' strike at Lingnan University, demonstrating strong patriotism. After the "April 12th" coup in 1927, he angrily left the Kuomintang and went to Japan to study, enrolling at Waseda University’s First Higher School. In the same year, he began conducting social science research for the Chinese Communist Party’s Tokyo special branch.

In August 1928, he was detained and expelled by Japanese authorities for participating in anti-Jinan massacre activities. In November of that year, he joined the Chinese Communist Party, dedicating himself to anti-Japanese and workers’ movements. In summer 1930, he represented the Chinese Communist Party at the Fifth Congress of the Communist International in Moscow. Subsequently, he studied at Moscow Sun Yat-sen University, deepening his knowledge of Marxism-Leninism. In spring 1931, he traveled to Rotterdam, Netherlands, where he led Chinese seafarers’ activities and established the European branch of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

After returning to China, Liao Chengzhi served as the Propaganda Minister of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the secretary of the Communist faction within the National Seafarers’ General Union. In 1933, he was arrested by the Kuomintang but was released after rescue efforts. In 1934, he joined the Chinese Red Army’s worker and peasant revolutionary forces, serving as a standing committee member and Propaganda Minister of the Sichuan-Shaanxi Soviet Area. In spring 1937, he accompanied the Central Committee of the Communist Party to Yan'an, actively preparing the party magazine "Jiefang" (Liberation). During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he served successively as head of the Hong Kong office of the Eighth Route Army and as a member of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

In 1941, as the war entered a critical phase, Liao Chengzhi established the "Huashang Bao" (Chinese Business Newspaper) in Hong Kong and led efforts on the anti-Japanese patriotic front. In 1942, he organized underground activities in northern Guangdong and helped rescue cultural and democratic figures in Hong Kong. In 1946, he was rescued from prison by the Central Committee and went to Nanjing to promote Party propaganda work, serving as the head of the Xinhua News Agency. In 1949, he became an alternate member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and subsequently held various key positions in the state and Party, including Central Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

After the founding of New China, Liao Chengzhi dedicated himself to overseas Chinese work and international friendship. He served as director of the State Council Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and president of the China-Japan Friendship Association, promoting friendly relations between China and Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asian countries, and others. He played a significant role in normalizing China-Japan diplomatic relations and in advancing the reunification of the Chinese nation. Starting in 1978, he held the position of Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and was responsible for Hong Kong and Macau affairs, actively contributing to the country's reunification efforts.

Liao Chengzhi’s international work was characterized by foresight and strategic vision, advocating for anti-fascism and world peace. As an important Chinese promoter of international peace, he frequently represented China at global conferences, promoting Asia-Africa cooperation and international friendship. His career spanned over half a century. He passed away suddenly from a heart attack in Beijing on June 10, 1983, at the age of 75.

Liao Chengzhi’s contributions are reflected in his work for the Party's revolutionary cause, socialist construction, national reunification, and international friendship. His impact on China's historical development has been profound.