Yiil Ch’uan

1924

Yunnan, China

In 1949 the Second Field Army under the command of Liu Po-ch'eng and Teng Hsiao-p’ing fought its way against the Nationalists through central China and into the southwest. Yu was serving as a deputy director of the political department of the Fourth Group Army within the field army. His native Yunnan was captured in December 1949, and he was assigned as director of the Political Department for the Yunnan Military District. As in the case of many PLA officers and especially political officers Yii soon gave up his military assignments in favor of positions within the governmental and Party hierarchies. He served briefly in 1950 as a member of the Yunnan Provincial Peopled Government, but his main work in the early 1950's was with the Party. In 1951-52 he headed the Yunnan Party Committee's Propaganda Department, another post he assumed in 1951 was as a deputy secretary of the Party Committee. Over the next few years Yii climbed the hierarchical ladder by early 1955 he advanced to second secretary and then in mid-1956 became a secretary, serving under First Secretaries Hsieh Fu-chih and (from 1959) under Yen Hung-yen, the former a full member of the Party Central Committee and the latter an alternate member. From February 1955 to July 1959, Yii was a vice-chairman of the First Yunnan Committee of the CPPCC, another post he held under Hsieh Fu-chih. The reason Yii was not re-elected to this position in 1959 was probably because he had assumed a much more important post in the interim; in mid-1957, Yunnan Governor Kuo Ying-ch’iu was attacked for incompetence by the Yunnan Party press. When the next provincial elections were held (March 1958), Yii was named to succeed Kuo. In 1959, Yii was elected as a deputy from Yunnan to the Second NPC (1959-1964) and was then re-elected in 1964 to the Third NPC, which held its first session in December 1964-January 1965. It was apparent that by the late 1950's Yii, who was both governor and second ranking secretary of the provincial Party Committee, was the most important official in Yunnan with the exception of First Party Secretary Yen Hung-yen. As an official of this stature, YLi was mentioned in the provincial press with considerable frequency; he was reported making inspection trips within the province, attending meetings of the Party or government, or attending functions in celebration of Communist holidays. Furthermore, because the Yunnan capital (Kunming) is a major point of entry into or exit from south China, he was often in the company of distinguished visitors from abroad (such as Burmese leader Nc-Win in March 1961) or high-level Chinese Party leaders en route abroad (like P'eng Chen who passed through Kunming in September 1962 en route to Vietnam). Until mid-1963 the press reported Yu's activities in Yunnan with regularity, then, early in 1964, Yunnan Vice-governor Liu Ming-hui was identified as the acting governor. In May 1964 Yii made one last appearance as the governor and in September of that year was re-elected from Yunnan to the Third NPC. However, in the following month (October 1964) he was suddenly transferred to Chekiang where he assumed a new position as the head of the Chekiang Party Control Commission, the organization charged with the task of maintaining intraParty discipline and supervision. Not long after, in February 1965, Yii was formally replaced as the Yunnan governor by Chou Hsing, a veteran Party official who has specialized in public security work.

Yiil Ch’uan

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administrator secretary CCP member

Background

A native of Yunnan, Yii I-ch’uan is one of the youngest of the Chinese Communist leaders.

Education

According to Japanese sources, he graduated from a Communist Party school, details are not available, but to judge from his age the schooling must have taken place in Yenan during the Sino-Japanese War.

Career

In 1949 the Second Field Army under the command of Liu Po-ch'eng and Teng Hsiao-p’ing fought its way against the Nationalists through central China and into the southwest. Yu was serving as a deputy director of the political department of the Fourth Group Army within the field army. His native Yunnan was captured in December 1949, and he was assigned as director of the Political Department for the Yunnan Military District.

As in the case of many PLA officers and especially political officers Yii soon gave up his military assignments in favor of positions within the governmental and Party hierarchies. He served briefly in 1950 as a member of the Yunnan Provincial Peopled Government, but his main work in the early 1950's was with the Party. In 1951-52 he headed the Yunnan Party Committee's Propaganda Department, another post he assumed in 1951 was as a deputy secretary of the Party Committee. Over the next few years Yii climbed the hierarchical ladder by early 1955 he advanced to second secretary and then in mid-1956 became a secretary, serving under First Secretaries Hsieh Fu-chih and (from 1959) under Yen Hung-yen, the former a full member of the Party Central Committee and the latter an alternate member.

From February 1955 to July 1959, Yii was a vice-chairman of the First Yunnan Committee of the CPPCC, another post he held under Hsieh Fu-chih. The reason Yii was not re-elected to this position in 1959 was probably because he had assumed a much more important post in the interim; in mid-1957, Yunnan Governor Kuo Ying-ch’iu was attacked for incompetence by the Yunnan Party press. When the next provincial elections were held (March 1958), Yii was named to succeed Kuo. In 1959, Yii was elected as a deputy from Yunnan to the Second NPC (1959-1964) and was then re-elected in 1964 to the Third NPC, which held its first session in December 1964-January 1965.

It was apparent that by the late 1950's Yii, who was both governor and second ranking secretary of the provincial Party Committee, was the most important official in Yunnan with the exception of First Party Secretary Yen Hung-yen. As an official of this stature, YLi was mentioned in the provincial press with considerable frequency; he was reported making inspection trips within the province, attending meetings of the Party or government, or attending functions in celebration of Communist holidays. Furthermore, because the Yunnan capital (Kunming) is a major point of entry into or exit from south China, he was often in the company of distinguished visitors from abroad (such as Burmese leader Nc-Win in March 1961) or high-level Chinese Party leaders en route abroad (like P'eng Chen who passed through Kunming in September 1962 en route to Vietnam).

Until mid-1963 the press reported Yu's activities in Yunnan with regularity, then, early in 1964, Yunnan Vice-governor Liu Ming-hui was identified as the acting governor. In May 1964 Yii made one last appearance as the governor and in September of that year was re-elected from Yunnan to the Third NPC. However, in the following month (October 1964) he was suddenly transferred to Chekiang where he assumed a new position as the head of the Chekiang Party Control Commission, the organization charged with the task of maintaining intraParty discipline and supervision. Not long after, in February 1965, Yii was formally replaced as the Yunnan governor by Chou Hsing, a veteran Party official who has specialized in public security work.

Connections

In private life Yii is married to Wang Ching, who has been a member of the Executive Committee of the National Women's Federation since the third national congress of the Federation in September 1957.

Spouse:: Wang Ching

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Yiil Ch’uan

Background

Education

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Born

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Career

1949

1950

1955 - 1959

1964