Geng Biao
Encyclopedia
Geng Biao was a senior leader in Communist Party of China
, and a leader in politics, foreign relation and military in China.
Geng was born in Liling
, Hunan
Province of China, and was a child worker in a Lead-Zinc mine in Shuikoushan, south of Hengyang
City in 1922. He joined Communist Youth League
of China in Shuikoushan in 1925. In 1926, he led a miners' military campaign and failed. He then went to Liuyang
and organized and led a militia in 1928. In August of the same year, he joined CPC.
In September 1930, his army was recruited to the Red Three Army of Red First Army Group of Chinese Red Army, and he became the staff of 9th division of Red Three Army. In 1933, he became the head of the 4th regiment of 2nd division of Red 1st Army Group. On 10 October 1934, he embarked on the Long March
as the pioneer of 2nd division.
In the beginning of 1935, his army attacked and seized a critical military fortress, Loushanguan in Guizhou
Province. As a result, he was promoted to the chief of staff of the 1st division of Red 1st Army Group after Zunyi Conference
. After arrival at North Shaanxi
, he was severely injured in a battle. In 1936, he graduated from the University of Anti-Japan Military of Politics, and was appointed as the chief of staff of the newly arrived Red Fourth Army of Red Fourth Army Group, and successfully took control of it, which had been led by Wang Ming
.
After outbreak of Second Sino-Japanese War
, he became the chief of staff, deputy head and deputy political commissar in 385 brigade, 129 division of Eighth Route Army
. His army occupied East Gansu
Province, responsible for the safety of west border of Shaan-Gan-Ning Region. He entered the school of the CPC's central committee. After graduation, he wen to Jin-Cha-Ji Region and became a military leader there. He led his army to seize Zhangjiakou in 1945.
In 1946, Geng accompanied Ye Jianying to participate in Beiping Military Conciliatory Commission, and was the vice chief of staff of CPC's delegates. After the conciliation failed, he went back to Jin-Cha-Ji Region and became the chief of staff of the Field Army in the military region. In 1948, he was appointed as the vice commander of the second army group in North China Military Region. He fought in Ping-Jin campaign, and seized Taiyuan city.
After the formation of People's Republic of China
, Geng was appointed as the ambassador to Sweden
, and minister to Denmark
and Finland
on 9 May 1950. He was also the ambassador to Pakistan
, Myanmar
and Albania
. He returned to China in 1971, and became the head of CPC's central foreign communication department, in charge of CPC's relations with foreign parties.
On 6 October 1976, he was ordered to take control of the broadcast and TV stations in Beijing
, in order to quell the Four Gang. Since then, he was in charge of the propaganda of CPC. In 1978, he was appointed as vice-premier of the State Council
, in charge of foreign relations, military industry, civil airlines and tourism. In January 1979, he became the secretary-general and member of Standing Committee of CPC's Central Military Commission.
In 1981, he became the minister of national defense, and became state councilor next year. In 1983, he became vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
, and chairmen of foreign relation committee in PNC. He was also a member of Standing Committee of CPC's senior consultative committee. He was awarded First-Class Red Star Medal.
He died on 23 June 2000 in Beijing.
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, and a leader in politics, foreign relation and military in China.
Geng was born in Liling
Liling
Liling is a county-level city in the eastern part of Hunan province of the People's Republic of China. Liling is about 5 miles from Jiangxi province and it is south of Hunan's capital, Changsha. Liling has an area of 2,157km2 and a population of about 1,020,000....
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
Province of China, and was a child worker in a Lead-Zinc mine in Shuikoushan, south of Hengyang
Hengyang
Hengyang is the second largest city of China's Hunan Province. It straddles the Xiang River about 160 km south of Changsha.-History:Its former name was Hengzhou . This was the capital of a prefecture in the Tang Dynasty's Jiangnan and West Jiangnan circuits...
City in 1922. He joined Communist Youth League
Communist Youth League
The Communist Youth League of China also known as the China Youth League is a youth movement of the People's Republic of China for youth between the ages of fourteen and twenty-eight, run by Communist Party of China. The league is organized on the party pattern. Its leader is its First Secretary...
of China in Shuikoushan in 1925. In 1926, he led a miners' military campaign and failed. He then went to Liuyang
Liuyang
Liuyang is a county-level city in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province in China. Liuyang is well known for its fireworks industry. It has an area of 5,008 square kilometres and a population of 1,380,000 as of 2003....
and organized and led a militia in 1928. In August of the same year, he joined CPC.
In September 1930, his army was recruited to the Red Three Army of Red First Army Group of Chinese Red Army, and he became the staff of 9th division of Red Three Army. In 1933, he became the head of the 4th regiment of 2nd division of Red 1st Army Group. On 10 October 1934, he embarked on the Long March
Long March
The Long March was a massive military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China, the forerunner of the People's Liberation Army, to evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang army. There was not one Long March, but a series of marches, as various Communist armies in the south...
as the pioneer of 2nd division.
In the beginning of 1935, his army attacked and seized a critical military fortress, Loushanguan in Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
Province. As a result, he was promoted to the chief of staff of the 1st division of Red 1st Army Group after Zunyi Conference
Zunyi Conference
The Zunyi Conference was a meeting of the Communist Party of China in January of 1935 during the Long March. This meeting involved a power struggle between the leadership of Bo Gu and Otto Braun and the opposition led by Mao Zedong. The result was that Mao left the meeting in position to take...
. After arrival at North Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
, he was severely injured in a battle. In 1936, he graduated from the University of Anti-Japan Military of Politics, and was appointed as the chief of staff of the newly arrived Red Fourth Army of Red Fourth Army Group, and successfully took control of it, which had been led by Wang Ming
Wang Ming
Wang Ming was a senior leader of the early Chinese Communist Party and the mastermind of the famous 28 Bolsheviks group. Wang was also a major political rival of Mao Zedong during the 1930s, opposing Mao's nationalist deviation from the Comintern and orthodox Marxism and Leninism lines...
.
After outbreak of Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, he became the chief of staff, deputy head and deputy political commissar in 385 brigade, 129 division of Eighth Route Army
Eighth Route Army
The Eighth Route Army was the larger of the two major Chinese communist forces that formed a unit of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China which fought the Japanese from 1937 to 1945. In contrast to most of the National Revolutionary Army, it was controlled by the Communist...
. His army occupied East Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
Province, responsible for the safety of west border of Shaan-Gan-Ning Region. He entered the school of the CPC's central committee. After graduation, he wen to Jin-Cha-Ji Region and became a military leader there. He led his army to seize Zhangjiakou in 1945.
In 1946, Geng accompanied Ye Jianying to participate in Beiping Military Conciliatory Commission, and was the vice chief of staff of CPC's delegates. After the conciliation failed, he went back to Jin-Cha-Ji Region and became the chief of staff of the Field Army in the military region. In 1948, he was appointed as the vice commander of the second army group in North China Military Region. He fought in Ping-Jin campaign, and seized Taiyuan city.
After the formation of 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...
, Geng was appointed as the ambassador to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and minister to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
on 9 May 1950. He was also the ambassador to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
and Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. He returned to China in 1971, and became the head of CPC's central foreign communication department, in charge of CPC's relations with foreign parties.
On 6 October 1976, he was ordered to take control of the broadcast and TV stations in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, in order to quell the Four Gang. Since then, he was in charge of the propaganda of CPC. In 1978, he was appointed as vice-premier of the State Council
Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
The Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China is a high-ranking executive assistant to the Premier. There is a First-ranking Vice Premier , sometimes called Executive Vice Premier wrongly by the non-official media. It is an informal title and takes over duties of the...
, in charge of foreign relations, military industry, civil airlines and tourism. In January 1979, he became the secretary-general and member of Standing Committee of CPC's Central Military Commission.
In 1981, he became the minister of national defense, and became state councilor next year. In 1983, he became vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is a committee of about 150 members of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China , which is convened between plenary sessions of the NPC. It has the constitutional authority to modify legislation within limits set by...
, and chairmen of foreign relation committee in PNC. He was also a member of Standing Committee of CPC's senior consultative committee. He was awarded First-Class Red Star Medal.
He died on 23 June 2000 in Beijing.