Chang Chia-fu

1900

China

In May 1949 Sian fell to the forces under the command of Ho Lung, another key figure in the Shansi-Suiyuan area during the Sino-Japanese War. The Sian Municipal Military Control Commission was immediately established under the chairmanship of Ho, with Chang as one of its members. By the latter part of the same year he was heading the Propaganda Department for the Party’s Northwest Bureau, a position he held until a transfer in early 1953 took him to Peking. Under the civil government structure for the northwest, known as the Northwest Military and Administrative Committee (NWMAC), Chang was named to membership on the Committee (January 1950-January 1953). Also under the NWMAC he was a vice-chairman of the Culture and Education Committee. The ostensible head of this Committee was Yang Ming-hsien, but in view of the fact that Yang is not a CCP member, it is likely that Chang actually directed the affairs of this important body. He also held this post until his transfer in early 1953. Apart from his Party and government positions, Chang’s extra-curricular activities included a vice-chairmanship of the Northwest Branch of the China Peace Committee by May 1952. Chang was relieved of his posts in the Northwest and called to Peking, where in January 1953 he was made a vice-president of the Academy of Sciences under Academy President Kuo Mo-jo. In the following month he was a member of the Academy delegation led by Ch’ien San-ch’iang to Moscow. Chang was identified at this time as a historian. This was the first large delegation of Chinese scientists to visit the Soviet Union; it remained there for three months. In April 1954 the Academy took its first major steps toward the establishment of departments governing four major academic fields. Chang was named as the deputy director of the Department of Social Sciences. Ultimately, when these departments were set up in May-June 1955, Chang was dropped to simple membership under Department Director Kuo Mo-jo. In October 1955, Chang was also named to a special Science Scholarship Committee that was established under Academy auspices to stimulate research and scientific writings. When the First NPC was established in 1954, thus inaugurating the constitutional government, Chang served as a deputy from Shansi. However, in the Second and Third NPCs (which opened their initial sessions in April 1959 and December 1964, respectively), he was transferred to be a deputy from Inner Mongolia. When Chang was first assigned to the Academy of Sciences in 1953 it was clearly the principal organization concerned with directing Chinese scientific research and development. However, following the announcement of an ambitious 12- Year Scientific Plan in early 1956, the Communists created (March 1956) a Scientific Planning Commission under the State Council with Vice-Premier Ch’en I as the chairman. At this point, Chang was removed from his vice-presidency in the Academy and transferred to the new Committee, being named as a deputy secretary-general. Two months later, in May 1956, he received an appointment more fitting to his experience, theretofore largely devoted to administration and Party-directed propaganda in the fields of education and culture. This was as a deputy director of the Second Staff Office of the State Council, one of eight offices then directing and coordinating the activities of several ministries and bureaus of the State Council. In May 1957, when the Scientific Planning Commission was reorganized, Chang was dropped from his post on that organization. Then in September 1959 the Second Staff Office was redesignated with a name denoting its function, the Office of Culture and Education, Chang was reappointed as a deputy director at this time and continues to hold the post. In 1957, when the “Hundred Flowers Campaign” was still encouraging some freedom of speech, Chang was criticized for being “so bureaucratic and sectarian that he forbade non-Party members to enter his office in the Academy.” This criticism from non-Party channels, however, obviously did not damage his career. In December 1958 and again in June 1960 he served on the presidium (steering committee) for two nationwide conferences of “advanced” workers, the first in agriculture and the latter in culture and education. A long period then passed before Chang was again in the news. Finally, in late 1962, he was named as an alternate member of the Party’s Central Control Commission. This important Commission, charged with discipline and inspection functions within the Party, was expanded in accordance with a decision taken at the 10th Plenum of the Party Central Committee in September 1962. For reasons of internal security, the Control Commission seldom receives press attention, and as a consequence Chang was seldom mentioned in the press after assum¬ing this post. As already noted, however, he was re-elected in 1964 as a deputy from Inner Mongolia to the Third NPC, and when the permanent NPC Bills Committee was named at the close of the first session (January 1965), Chang was selected as a member.

Chang Chia-fu

Edit Profile

historian politician

Background

Chang Chia-fu was probably born around 1900 in China.

Education

It is probable that he joined the Communist movement by the 1930’s, if not earlier. This deduction is made from the fact that Chang was sufficiently familiar with Kuan Hsiang-ying, a prominent Party Central Committee figure who died in 1946, to supply Kuan’s biographer with details about his career.

Career

In May 1949 Sian fell to the forces under the command of Ho Lung, another key figure in the Shansi-Suiyuan area during the Sino-Japanese War. The Sian Municipal Military Control Commission was immediately established under the chairmanship of Ho, with Chang as one of its members. By the latter part of the same year he was heading the Propaganda Department for the Party’s Northwest Bureau, a position he held until a transfer in early 1953 took him to Peking. Under the civil government structure for the northwest, known as the Northwest Military and Administrative Committee (NWMAC), Chang was named to membership on the Committee (January 1950-January 1953). Also under the NWMAC he was a vice-chairman of the Culture and Education Committee. The ostensible head of this Committee was Yang Ming-hsien, but in view of the fact that Yang is not a CCP member, it is likely that Chang actually directed the affairs of this important body. He also held this post until his transfer in early 1953. Apart from his Party and government positions, Chang’s extra-curricular activities included a vice-chairmanship of the Northwest Branch of the China Peace Committee by May 1952.

Chang was relieved of his posts in the Northwest and called to Peking, where in January 1953 he was made a vice-president of the Academy of Sciences under Academy President Kuo Mo-jo. In the following month he was a member of the Academy delegation led by Ch’ien San-ch’iang to Moscow. Chang was identified at this time as a historian. This was the first large delegation of Chinese scientists to visit the Soviet Union; it remained there for three months. In April 1954 the Academy took its first major steps toward the establishment of departments governing four major academic fields. Chang was named as the deputy director of the Department of Social Sciences. Ultimately, when these departments were set up in May-June 1955, Chang was dropped to simple membership under Department Director Kuo Mo-jo. In October 1955, Chang was also named to a special Science Scholarship Committee that was established under Academy auspices to stimulate research and scientific writings. When the First NPC was established in 1954, thus inaugurating the constitutional government, Chang served as a deputy from Shansi. However, in the Second and Third NPCs (which opened their initial sessions in April 1959 and December 1964, respectively), he was transferred to be a deputy from Inner Mongolia.

When Chang was first assigned to the Academy of Sciences in 1953 it was clearly the principal organization concerned with directing Chinese scientific research and development. However, following the announcement of an ambitious 12- Year Scientific Plan in early 1956, the Communists created (March 1956) a Scientific Planning Commission under the State Council with Vice-Premier Ch’en I as the chairman. At this point, Chang was removed from his vice-presidency in the Academy and transferred to the new Committee, being named as a deputy secretary-general. Two months later, in May 1956, he received an appointment more fitting to his experience, theretofore largely devoted to administration and Party-directed propaganda in the fields of education and culture. This was as a deputy director of the Second Staff Office of the State Council, one of eight offices then directing and coordinating the activities of several ministries and bureaus of the State Council. In May 1957, when the Scientific Planning Commission was reorganized, Chang was dropped from his post on that organization. Then in September 1959 the Second Staff Office was redesignated with a name denoting its function, the Office of Culture and Education, Chang was reappointed as a deputy director at this time and continues to hold the post.

In 1957, when the “Hundred Flowers Campaign” was still encouraging some freedom of speech, Chang was criticized for being “so bureaucratic and sectarian that he forbade non-Party members to enter his office in the Academy.” This criticism from non-Party channels, however, obviously did not damage his career. In December 1958 and again in June 1960 he served on the presidium (steering committee) for two nationwide conferences of “advanced” workers, the first in agriculture and the latter in culture and education. A long period then passed before Chang was again in the news. Finally, in late 1962, he was named as an alternate member of the Party’s Central Control Commission. This important Commission, charged with discipline and inspection functions within the Party, was expanded in accordance with a decision taken at the 10th Plenum of the Party Central Committee in September 1962. For reasons of internal security, the Control Commission seldom receives press attention, and as a consequence Chang was seldom mentioned in the press after assum¬ing this post. As already noted, however, he was re-elected in 1964 as a deputy from Inner Mongolia to the Third NPC, and when the permanent NPC Bills Committee was named at the close of the first session (January 1965), Chang was selected as a member.

Main Photo

School period

College/University

Career

Achievements

Membership

Awards

Other Photos

Connections

Connections

Chang Chia-fu

Background

Education

Career

Born

Nationality

Ethnicity

Political Party

Career

January, 1953