Li Zhengxiu

Li Zhengxiu was the father of Li Zhanshu, former Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and former member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee. He was from Pingshan County, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province.

Li Zhengxiu came from a family with strong educational and revolutionary traditions. His father, Li Congzhou, was the headmaster of the village primary school in Dujiazhuang, Pingshan, and had a major influence on the family’s emphasis on learning. His younger brother, Li Zhengtong, served as a battalion commander in the Second Army of the First Field Army of the PLA and was killed in action during the 1949 Fufeng Campaign at the young age of 26. Another relative, Li Zaiwen, joined the CCP while studying at university in Beijing and later became Vice Governor of Shandong Province after the founding of the PRC.

After Li Zhengtong’s death, Li Zhengxiu made a grueling 30-day journey to transport his brother’s coffin from Shaanxi back to their hometown in Hebei, showing his deep sense of family duty and perseverance.

The following year, Li Zhengxiu had a son. To honor the memory of his fallen brother, he named him “Zhanshu,” meaning ‘a letter from the battlefield,’ symbolizing remembrance and sacrifice. This son, Li Zhanshu, would later rise to become one of China’s top leaders.

Li Zhengxiu himself remained relatively low-profile, with little public information about his career or social roles. However, his dedication to family and the values he instilled played a crucial part in shaping the character and achievements of his son.