Dong Biwu

Dong Biwu
董必武
Dong Biwu
President of the People's Republic of China (acting)
In office 31 October 1968 – 17 January 1975
Premier	Zhou Enlai
Leader	Mao Zedong
Preceded by	Liu Shaoqi
Succeeded by	Post abolished (Li Xiannian in 1983)
Vice President of the People's Republic of China
In office 27 April 1959 – 17 January 1975
President	Liu Shaoqi vacant
Preceded by	Zhu De
Succeeded by	Ulanhu
Secretary of the Central Control Commission
In office March 1955 – April 1968
Chairman	Mao Zedong
Preceded by	Zhu De
Succeeded by	Chen Yun
President of the Supreme People's Court
In office 1954–1959
Preceded by	Shen Junru
Succeeded by	Xie Juezai
Personal details
Born	5 March 1886 Huanggang, Hubei, Qing Dynasty
Died	2 April 1975 (aged 89) Beijing, People's Republic of China

Dong Biwu
Chinese	董必武
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Dǒng Bìwǔ Wade–Giles Tung Pi-wu

Dong Biwu (5 March 1886 – 2 April 1975) was a Chinese communist political leader during the regime of Chairman Mao Zedong. Dong served as the Vice President and acting President of China.

Life and politics

Dong Biwu was born in Huanggang, Hubei. In 1911 he joined the Tongmenghui, and participated in the Xinhai Revolution. Twice he went to Japan to study at Nihon University. In 1921 he attended the 1st Congress of the Communist Party of China as a representative of Wuhan. Mao Zedong and Dong Biwu were the only two men to attend both the 1st Congress and the establishment of the People's Republic of China at Tiananmen in 1949.

He was Vice President of China from 1959 until 1975, jointly with Soong Ching-ling, and after 1968 he was - until 1972 jointly with Soong Ching-ling - Acting President of China. In 1975, the office of president was abolished and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress - then Zhu De - became formal head of state. Dong was elected Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of People's National Congress.

Dong was a member of Politburo of the Communist Party of China from 1945 to 1975. He was elected one of nine members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo at 10th Congress of the Communist Party in 1973.

He died a year before Mao and several other important politicians like Zhou Enlai and Zhu De.

In 1991, a statue of Dong Biwu was erected in one of Wuhan's central squares, Hongshan Guangchang. Hubei Provincial museum houses a collection of Dong's personal items.

Statue of Dong Biwu in Wuhan

External links

• (Chinese) Biography of Dong Biwu