周秉宜

Zhou Bingyi, whose birth and death years are unknown, is a well-known figure in the Chinese Communist Party. She has served as a researcher at the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau of the CPC, an executive member of the Zhou Enlai Research Society, and a distinguished researcher at the Zhou Enlai Research Center of Nankai University. She is the third daughter of Zhou Enlai’s younger brother, Zhou Enshou, and was born in Beijing. From 1949 to 1968, she lived in Zhongnanhai with her father, mother Deng Yingchao, and grandfather Zhou Enlai, receiving their teachings and influence during that time.

In terms of family education, Zhou Bingyi was brought up with values of equality and simplicity. Her upbringing instilled in her the concept that “you are just an ordinary common person,” and she emphasized the principle that “you and the people are the same.” She also mentioned that her family’s approach to educating children was based on equality and that no special privileges were allowed. She recalls the policy that “Premier hoped his children would not enjoy special privileges.”

Regarding her family relationships, Zhou Bingyi is the niece of Zhou Enlai. Due to her close relationship with Zhou Enlai’s family during her childhood in the Xihua Hall of Zhongnanhai, she was once recommended to be considered Zhou Enlai’s daughter. However, Zhou Enlai declined this suggestion to prevent her from developing a sense of privilege. In her memory, Premier Zhou was often emphasizing educational ideas such as “being like the common people” and “not discussing our relationships.”

In her personal experiences, she recalls some details of her childhood, such as being scolded for eating ice cream during summer while entertaining Soviet guests. She also remembers that Premier Zhou instructed that children in his family should not dine in the Xihua Hall after starting elementary school, but must eat at the large canteen. She describes the daily life of that period, including the difficulties of receiving meal tickets and money from the orderly, and taking her brothers to the dining hall, reflecting the strict discipline in their lives.

Zhou Bingyi’s professional career mainly focuses on studying Zhou Enlai’s thoughts and history. She has held important positions in academic institutions dedicated to the research of Zhou Enlai’s life and the archives of the CPC Central Committee, dedicating herself to organizing and researching documents related to Zhou Enlai. She has always insisted on academic rigor and is committed to the collection and preservation of the Communist Party’s historical materials.