Cheng Sen-yii

1910

China

Cheng Sen-yii was a journalist by profession. He was lecturing on journalism at the Chinese Spare-Time School in Hong Kong in 1938. By mid-1948 he was in Shanghai (still under KMT control) where he was one of the signers of an open letter from cultural circles charging the United States with aggression against China. In May of the following year (the month Shanghai fell to the Communists), Cheng Sen-yii took part in establishing a Preparatory Committee for the China New Economics Research Society. In February 1952 he attended a meeting of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs of which he was a member. This was his first identification in the field of foreign affairs, an activity to which he has devoted the rest of his career. During 1952 Cheng Sen-yii received two more appointments, both related to international relations. In May he was named to the Standing Committee of the newly formed China-Burma Friendship Association, and the following September he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the newly established "China News Service," which was organized to report on overseas Chinese affairs. Then in late 1952 or early 1953 he was assigned to work in the headquarters of the World Peace Council (WPC) in Prague. In this connection he was a delegate to the World Peace Congress held in Vienna in December 1952. In March 1953 he returned to Vienna for another "peace" meeting at which time he was identified as a member of the World Peace Council’s (WPC) International Committee. In June and again in November he was a delegate to sessions of the WPC in Budapest and Vienna. In the spring of 1954 the WPC headquarters was moved to the Russian zone of Vienna where it was situated until February 1957 when the Austrian authorities forced it to close; it was then moved back to Prague. Between February and April 1955 Cheng Sen-yii was in New Delhi serving first on the Preparatory Committee for the Asian Countries’ Conference and then as a Chinese delegate to it. In June 1955 he was back in Europe for a WPC meeting held in Helsinki. Then in August he made the first of several trips to Japan as secretary of the Chinese delegation to the First World Conference for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. From the fall of 1955 until late summer 1956, Cheng Sen-yii was present at several functions in Peking. After the Vienna headquarters of the WPC was closed in 1957, the Communists established a thinly disguised front group known as the "International Institute for Peace" in that city. Cheng Sen-yii attended one of the Institute’s meetings in November 1957 and in December 1963 he was elected to its Executive Committee. During the late 1950’s he also continued his activities in connection with the WPC. In March-April 1957 Cheng Sen-yii attended a WPC Standing Committee meeting in East Berlin and in June he was a Chinese delegate to the WPC meeting in Colombo, Ceylon, where he was elected to the WPC Secretariat. Afterwards, he returned to Peking, but in August he was in Tokyo for the second time as secretary-general of the six-man Chinese delegation to the Third World Conference for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. During 1958 Cheng Sen-yii attended two other WPC meetings in New Delhi (March) and Helsinki (December). In May-June 1959 he was in Stockholm for a WPC meeting celebrating the 10th anniversary of the "world peace movement." Cheng Sen-yii has also played a role in Sino-Cuban affairs, having visited Havana in December 1960-January 1961 to celebrate the second anniversary of Castro’s victory and being appointed to the Council of the China-Cuba Friendship Association when it was established in December 1962. Aside from his work for the WPC and the "friendship" associations, he served in other organizations, the most important of which are the China Peace Committee and the Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee of China. In July 1958, when the China Peace Committee was reorganized, he became a member of the National and Standing Committees, as well as one of the deputy secretaries-general. Seven years later (June 1965), during another reorganization, Cheng Sen-yii was returned to the National and Standing Committees. Cheng Sen-yii was also a deputy secretary-general of the All-China Journalists Association in August 1960, but there is no further information about his work with this organization. Although Cheng’s work has been almost exclusively with the various "people’s" organizations, he has held quasi-governmental posts since 1959. In April of that year he was named to the Third National Committee of the CPPCC as a representative of "peace and friendship associations with foreign countries" and was then re-appointed to the Fourth National Committee in 1964.

Cheng Sen-yii

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程森义

politician

Background

Cheng Sen-yii was born in 1910 in China. Little is known about his background.

Education

Cheng was a journalist by profession. He was lecturing on journalism at the Chinese Spare-Time School in Hong Kong in 1938. Between the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 and the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Hong Kong was the scene of considerable CCP activity, particularly in the propaganda field. It is possible, though undocumented, that Cheng moved in these circles.

Career

Cheng Sen-yii was a journalist by profession. He was lecturing on journalism at the Chinese Spare-Time School in Hong Kong in 1938. By mid-1948 he was in Shanghai (still under KMT control) where he was one of the signers of an open letter from cultural circles charging the United States with aggression against China.

In May of the following year (the month Shanghai fell to the Communists), Cheng Sen-yii took part in establishing a Preparatory Committee for the China New Economics Research Society. In February 1952 he attended a meeting of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs of which he was a member. This was his first identification in the field of foreign affairs, an activity to which he has devoted the rest of his career.

During 1952 Cheng Sen-yii received two more appointments, both related to international relations. In May he was named to the Standing Committee of the newly formed China-Burma Friendship Association, and the following September he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the newly established "China News Service," which was organized to report on overseas Chinese affairs. Then in late 1952 or early 1953 he was assigned to work in the headquarters of the World Peace Council (WPC) in Prague. In this connection he was a delegate to the World Peace Congress held in Vienna in December 1952. In March 1953 he returned to Vienna for another "peace" meeting at which time he was identified as a member of the World Peace Council’s (WPC) International Committee. In June and again in November he was a delegate to sessions of the WPC in Budapest and Vienna.

In the spring of 1954 the WPC headquarters was moved to the Russian zone of Vienna where it was situated until February 1957 when the Austrian authorities forced it to close; it was then moved back to Prague.

Between February and April 1955 Cheng Sen-yii was in New Delhi serving first on the Preparatory Committee for the Asian Countries’ Conference and then as a Chinese delegate to it. In June 1955 he was back in Europe for a WPC meeting held in Helsinki. Then in August he made the first of several trips to Japan as secretary of the Chinese delegation to the First World Conference for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

From the fall of 1955 until late summer 1956, Cheng Sen-yii was present at several functions in Peking. After the Vienna headquarters of the WPC was closed in 1957, the Communists established a thinly disguised front group known as the "International Institute for Peace" in that city. Cheng Sen-yii attended one of the Institute’s meetings in November 1957 and in December 1963 he was elected to its Executive Committee. During the late 1950’s he also continued his activities in connection with the WPC.

In March-April 1957 Cheng Sen-yii attended a WPC Standing Committee meeting in East Berlin and in June he was a Chinese delegate to the WPC meeting in Colombo, Ceylon, where he was elected to the WPC Secretariat. Afterwards, he returned to Peking, but in August he was in Tokyo for the second time as secretary-general of the six-man Chinese delegation to the Third World Conference for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

During 1958 Cheng Sen-yii attended two other WPC meetings in New Delhi (March) and Helsinki (December). In May-June 1959 he was in Stockholm for a WPC meeting celebrating the 10th anniversary of the "world peace movement."

Cheng Sen-yii has also played a role in Sino-Cuban affairs, having visited Havana in December 1960-January 1961 to celebrate the second anniversary of Castro’s victory and being appointed to the Council of the China-Cuba Friendship Association when it was established in December 1962.

Aside from his work for the WPC and the "friendship" associations, he served in other organizations, the most important of which are the China Peace Committee and the Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee of China.

In July 1958, when the China Peace Committee was reorganized, he became a member of the National and Standing Committees, as well as one of the deputy secretaries-general. Seven years later (June 1965), during another reorganization, Cheng Sen-yii was returned to the National and Standing Committees.

Cheng Sen-yii was also a deputy secretary-general of the All-China Journalists Association in August 1960, but there is no further information about his work with this organization. Although Cheng’s work has been almost exclusively with the various "people’s" organizations, he has held quasi-governmental posts since 1959. In April of that year he was named to the Third National Committee of the CPPCC as a representative of "peace and friendship associations with foreign countries" and was then re-appointed to the Fourth National Committee in 1964.

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Cheng Sen-yii

Background

Education

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Born

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Career

1938

1952

May, 1952

September, 1952

1957

April, 1959

August, 1960

1962

December, 1963