Chang Ch'ün
Encyclopedia
Chang Ch'ün or Chang Chun (張群; pinyin
: Zhāng Qún; also known as Zhang Yuejun 張岳軍; May 9, 1889 - December 14, 1990) was premier of the Republic of China
and prominent member of the Kuomintang
. He later became secretary general to the President of the Republic from 1954 to 1972 and senior advisor
to Presidents Chiang Kai-shek
, Yen Chia-kan
, Chiang Ching-kuo
and Lee Teng-hui
.
to study at the Shimbu Gakko, a military school. Together with his classmate, Chiang Kai-shek
(蔣中正 / 蔣介石), he joined the T'ung-meng-hui the same year. After completing their preparatory studies, they both served in the Takada regiment of the Niigata
army before returning to China to serve under Sun Yat-sen
in the revolution which would overthrow the Qing monarchy in 1911. During this period, a lifelong friendship between the two men and Huang Fu
(黄郛) was formed and the three became sworn, or blood, brothers. Chang married Ma Yu-ying (馬育英) in 1913; because their first child was born in 1917, he later claimed to have practiced family planning long before it became popular!
When Yuan Shikai
(袁世凱) attempted to restore the monarchy, Chang fled to Japan and finished his military training in 1915. Then, after a period in the Netherlands East Indies where he taught in an overseas Chinese school, he returned to China to participate in Yuan's overthrow.
With the restoration of the Republic, Chang held several posts. Becoming a major general at age 28, he later became member of the Kuomintang's Central Executive Committee, mayor of Shanghai
and president of Tongji University, governor of Hubei
province and foreign minister. In the KMT, he led the Political Science Clique (政學系), which included military men such as Huang Fu (黄郛) and Xiong Shihui (熊式輝), intellectuals, like Yang Yongtai (楊永泰) and Wang Chonghui (王寵惠), and bankers and industrialists, including Wu Dingchang (吳鼎昌) and Zhang Jiaoao (張嘉璈). During World War II
, he served as secretary general of the National Security Council and governor of Sichuan
province.
In 1946, Chang, representing the national government, was a member of the Committee of Three along with General George Marshall
, then head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Chinese Communist Party representative Zhou Enlai
(周恩來), which had been established in Nanjing in January, 1946 to effect a Kuomingtang-Chinese Communist Party truce and head off civil war. Marshall's prestige and active mediation helped to bring about a temporary cease-fire and plans for a political-military settlement.
In 1947, Chang headed the first coalition government as president of the Executive Yuan
, a position also known as premier of the Republic of China
. His platform was to prepare China for constitutional government, land reform and price control. After the transfer of the capital from Nanking to Taipei, he became chief of staff and secretary general to the president in 1954. Among his duties were planning the government's foreign policy and representing the president in Africa and Europe, including the Second Vatican Council
and Japan. In 1972, he played a large role in the difficult negotiations regarding Japan's switch of diplomatic recognition to the People's Republic of China
. His last official position was chairman of the Presidium of the Kuomintang's Central Advisory Committee.
A member of the board of the National Palace Museum
, he was a renowned calligrapher, friend of great artists such as Chang Dai-chien (張大千; pinyin: Zhang Daqian), Huang Jun-bi and Lan Yin-ting, and a keen art collector. He died at the age of 101, of heart and kidney failure, at Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, on December 14, 1990.
Chang's wife, Ma Yu-ying (馬育英; pinyin: Ma Yuying), died in 1974. He is survived by his daughter, Mrs. Yalan Chang Lew (劉張亞蘭; pinyin: Liu Zhang Yalan), widow of Ambassador Yu-Tang Daniel Lew (劉毓棠; pinyin: Liu Yutang), and sons Dr. Philip Chi-cheng Chang (張繼正; pinyin: Zhang Jizheng), former communications minister 1969-72, chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development
1973-76, finance minister 1978-81 and governor of the Central Bank of China
1984-89, and Dr. Theodore Chi-chung Chang (張繼忠; pinyin: Zhang Jizhong), vice president of the Truth Theological Seminary and pastor emeritus of the Mandarin Baptist Church of Pasadena, California.
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Zhāng Qún; also known as Zhang Yuejun 張岳軍; May 9, 1889 - December 14, 1990) was premier of the Republic of China
Premier of the Republic of China
The President of the Executive Yuan , commonly known as the Premier of the Republic of China , is the head of the Executive Yuan, the executive branch of the Republic of China , which currently administers Taiwan, Matsu, and Kinmen. The premier is appointed by the President of the Republic of China...
and prominent member of the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
. He later became secretary general to the President of the Republic from 1954 to 1972 and senior advisor
Senior Advisor
In some countries, a Senior Advisor is an appointed position by the Head of State to advise on the highest levels of national and government policy. Sometimes a junior position to this is called a National Policy Advisor...
to Presidents Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
, Yen Chia-kan
Yen Chia-kan
Yen Chia-kan , or Yen Chia-jin , better known as C. K. Yen, succeeded Chiang Kai-shek as President of the Republic of China upon Chiang's death on April 5, 1975. He served out the remainder of Chiang's term until May 20, 1978.-Biography:C. K...
, Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China...
and Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
.
Biography
Born in the Huayang district of Sichuan, in 1906 he was admitted to the national military academy in Paoting in north China. The next year, he was selected to go to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to study at the Shimbu Gakko, a military school. Together with his classmate, Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
(蔣中正 / 蔣介石), he joined the T'ung-meng-hui the same year. After completing their preparatory studies, they both served in the Takada regiment of the Niigata
Niigata Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...
army before returning to China to serve under Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
in the revolution which would overthrow the Qing monarchy in 1911. During this period, a lifelong friendship between the two men and Huang Fu
Huang Fu
Huáng Fú was a general and politician in early republican China. He was born in Hangzhou.-Biography:Huang studied at Zhejiang Military College and Qiushi Academy , later went to Japan. Huang came in contact with the Revolutionary Alliance while studying in a military academy in the Empire of Japan...
(黄郛) was formed and the three became sworn, or blood, brothers. Chang married Ma Yu-ying (馬育英) in 1913; because their first child was born in 1917, he later claimed to have practiced family planning long before it became popular!
When Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
(袁世凱) attempted to restore the monarchy, Chang fled to Japan and finished his military training in 1915. Then, after a period in the Netherlands East Indies where he taught in an overseas Chinese school, he returned to China to participate in Yuan's overthrow.
With the restoration of the Republic, Chang held several posts. Becoming a major general at age 28, he later became member of the Kuomintang's Central Executive Committee, mayor of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and president of Tongji University, governor of Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
province and foreign minister. In the KMT, he led the Political Science Clique (政學系), which included military men such as Huang Fu (黄郛) and Xiong Shihui (熊式輝), intellectuals, like Yang Yongtai (楊永泰) and Wang Chonghui (王寵惠), and bankers and industrialists, including Wu Dingchang (吳鼎昌) and Zhang Jiaoao (張嘉璈). During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served as secretary general of the National Security Council and governor of Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
province.
In 1946, Chang, representing the national government, was a member of the Committee of Three along with General George Marshall
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall was an American military leader, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense...
, then head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Chinese Communist Party representative Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
(周恩來), which had been established in Nanjing in January, 1946 to effect a Kuomingtang-Chinese Communist Party truce and head off civil war. Marshall's prestige and active mediation helped to bring about a temporary cease-fire and plans for a political-military settlement.
In 1947, Chang headed the first coalition government as president of the Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...
, a position also known as premier of the Republic of China
Premier of the Republic of China
The President of the Executive Yuan , commonly known as the Premier of the Republic of China , is the head of the Executive Yuan, the executive branch of the Republic of China , which currently administers Taiwan, Matsu, and Kinmen. The premier is appointed by the President of the Republic of China...
. His platform was to prepare China for constitutional government, land reform and price control. After the transfer of the capital from Nanking to Taipei, he became chief of staff and secretary general to the president in 1954. Among his duties were planning the government's foreign policy and representing the president in Africa and Europe, including the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
and Japan. In 1972, he played a large role in the difficult negotiations regarding Japan's switch of diplomatic recognition to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. His last official position was chairman of the Presidium of the Kuomintang's Central Advisory Committee.
A member of the board of the National Palace Museum
National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum is an art museum in Taipei. It is the national museum of the Republic of China, and has a permanent collection of over 677,687 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of...
, he was a renowned calligrapher, friend of great artists such as Chang Dai-chien (張大千; pinyin: Zhang Daqian), Huang Jun-bi and Lan Yin-ting, and a keen art collector. He died at the age of 101, of heart and kidney failure, at Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, on December 14, 1990.
Chang's wife, Ma Yu-ying (馬育英; pinyin: Ma Yuying), died in 1974. He is survived by his daughter, Mrs. Yalan Chang Lew (劉張亞蘭; pinyin: Liu Zhang Yalan), widow of Ambassador Yu-Tang Daniel Lew (劉毓棠; pinyin: Liu Yutang), and sons Dr. Philip Chi-cheng Chang (張繼正; pinyin: Zhang Jizheng), former communications minister 1969-72, chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development
Council for Economic Planning and Development
Council for Economic Planning and Development is a government agency responsible for drafting overall plans for national economic development in the Free Area of the Republic of China. It also assesses development projects, proposals and programmes submitted to the Executive Yuan...
1973-76, finance minister 1978-81 and governor of the Central Bank of China
Central Bank of China
The Central Bank of the Republic of China , known in English from 1924 to 2007 as the Central Bank of China, is the central bank of the Republic of China . Its legal and common name in Chinese is literally translated as the "Central Bank"...
1984-89, and Dr. Theodore Chi-chung Chang (張繼忠; pinyin: Zhang Jizhong), vice president of the Truth Theological Seminary and pastor emeritus of the Mandarin Baptist Church of Pasadena, California.
External links
- Photo of Chang Ch'ün when mayor of Shanghai, around 1930
- Photo taken in 1945: US Ambassador Patrick J. Hurley, Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), President Chiang Kai-shek, Chang Ch'ün, Foreign Minister Wang Shijie (王世杰) and Mao Zedong (毛澤東) from left to right
- Photo taken in 1946 of Chang Ch'ün signing an agreement, flanked by General George C. Marshall, head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (right), and Chinese Communist Party Representative Zhou Enlai (周恩来)
- Video of Premier Chang arriving in Taipei in October, 1947
- Video of Premier Chang presiding over the celebrations of Taiwan's Retrocession Day, October 25, 1947
- Photo of Premier Chang arriving at the National Assembly's first meeting in 1948
- 長江萬里圖 The 65-foot long painting, Yangtze River by Chang Dai-chien, commissioned for Chang Ch'ün's 80th birthday, on display at the National History Museum in Taipei in 1967
- Video of Secretary General Chang presiding over the transfer of the premiership in 1972
- http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sydaw.gov.cn/dacx/photo_file/26970.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sydaw.gov.cn/dacx/showPhotoSearch.asp%3Fid%3D26970&usg=__tIqXmQQO3vo_ISORZ18qE6bPxoI=&h=446&w=640&sz=95&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=0-tPjr0G9XjVGM:&tbnh=132&tbnw=190&ei=vGFQTf3SFI_ksQOalKieCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%25E5%25BC%25B5%25E5%25AD%25B8%25E8%2589%25AF%2B%25E5%25BC%25B5%25E7%25BE%25A4%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3D6IZ%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1350%26bih%3D585%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Divnso&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1040&vpy=300&dur=1574&hovh=187&hovw=269&tx=164&ty=174&oei=vGFQTf3SFI_ksQOalKieCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:0Photo taken in 1978 of the Three Changs]: Chang Ch'ün (right) with General Chang Hsueh-liang (left) and painter Chang Dai-chien (center)
- Photo of 101-year-old Chang Ch'ün with Chang Hsueh-liang in 1990
- Video taken at Chang Hsueh-liang's 90th birthday celebration, hosted by Chang Ch'ün on June 1, 1990
