Mao Yuanxin ( Chinese 毛远新 ; February 14, 1941, Urumqi ), aka Li Shi, is a Chinese politician, Maoist , an active figure in the Cultural Revolution . Nephew of Mao Zedong . In the last months of his uncle's life, he acted as his representative in the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee . He was a political ally of the Gang of Four . After the death of Mao Zedong, he was arrested and sentenced to lengthy imprisonment. Freed up, he worked as an engineer at a car factory.
| Mao Yuanxin | |
|---|---|
| Chinese 毛远新 | |
| Date of Birth | |
| Place of Birth | |
| Citizenship | |
| Occupation | Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee Liaoning , Political Commissioner of the Shenyang Military District , Representative of Mao Zedong in the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPC |
| Education | |
| The consignment | Chinese Communist Party |
| Main ideas | communism , maoism |
| Father | Mao Zemin |
| Mother | Zhu Denghua |
| Spouse | Quan Xiufeng |
| Children | Li Li |
Content
In the Mao family. Study and Service
Mao Yuanxin's father was Mao Zemin - the younger brother of Mao Zedong , a prominent CCP figure, who was executed in Xinjiang in 1942 by order of Sheng Shitsai . His wife Zhu Denhua was imprisoned a year earlier. Mao Yuanxin was born during her imprisonment.
Since 1951, Mao Yuanxin was brought up in the house of Mao Zedong, under his strong influence [1] . From childhood he was extremely ideologized and politicized, he headed the children's communist organization in the school class. In 1960, Mao Yuanxin entered Tsinghua University , then moved to Harbin University of Engineering , which was involved in the development of PLA military equipment. The choice of educational institution and future occupation was made by Mao Yuanxing in consultation with Mao Zedong.
In 1965, Mao Yuanxin was assigned to serve in the Air Force anti-aircraft artillery under the command of General Wu Fassian .
The radical of the Cultural Revolution. Massacre of Zhang Zhixin
Since the summer of 1966, Mao Yuanxin has been actively involved in the Cultural Revolution . He organized a group of Hongweibins at Harbin University of Engineering. In May 1968, Mao Yuanxin became deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Liaoning Province and political commissar of the Shenyang Military District . His position was so radical that it provoked dissatisfaction and cautious opposition from the chairman of the Revolutionary Committee, the provincial governor and the district commander, General Chen Xilian .
Mao Yuanxin fully supported Jiang Qing , criticized Zhou Enlai for “moderation”, and exposed Liu Shaotsi and Deng Xiaoping as “Kapputists”. On economic issues, he praised the experience of the centralized economy of the DPRK.
In the spring of 1975, Mao Yuanxin played a key role in the massacre of the dissident communist Zhang Zhixin , who criticized Jiang Qing and Lin Biao (before his official exposure), opposed "slavish servility," condemned Mao Zedong himself. Arrested in 1969 , Zhang Zhixin was sentenced to life imprisonment.
On February 26, 1975, Mao Yuanxin demanded the execution of the "counterrevolutionary", and on April 4 she was shot (her throat was cut before being shot). Mao Yuanxin is seen as the main culprit of the murder of Zhang Zhixin [2] .
At the same time, Mao Yuanxin as the administrator of Liaoning played a prominent role in the evacuation of residents before the devastating earthquake of 1975 [3] .
Representative in the Politburo. The feud with Deng Xiaoping
On September 27, 1975, 81-year-old Mao Zedong appointed a nephew as his representative in the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPC [4] . In this position, Mao Yuanxin spoke on the side of Jiang Qing as an implacable opponent of Deng Xiaoping with his reformist intentions. He constantly criticized Deng Xiaoping for "revisionism" and "insufficient recognition of the achievements of the Cultural Revolution." Together with Jiang Qing and Zhang Chunqiao, Mao Yuanxin tried to organize a campaign of criticism of Deng Xiaoping from the side of a party activist. His attacks were so harsh that Mao Zedong recommended "helping Deng Xiaoping to correct mistakes, but not to beat him up."
April 4-5, 1976 in Beijing , mass protests took place on Tiananmen Square . Demonstrators expressed grief over the deceased Zhou Enlai, shouted slogans directed against Mao Zedong and Jiang Qing. Mao Yuanxin convinced Mao Zedong that the protests were inspired by Deng Xiaoping (which was not true) and lobbied for a decision on the removal of Deng from all posts at the Politburo.
Associate of the Gang of Four. Arrest and Detention
Mao Zedong passed away on September 9, 1976 . Defense Minister Marshal Ye Jianying recommended Mao Yuanxin to leave Beijing and return to Liaoning. However, Mao Yuanxin remained in the capital and supported the plan of the seizure of power by the Jiang Qing group - the “ Gang of Four ”. For their part, Hua Guofeng and his supporters - Ye Jianying , Li Xiannian , Wang Dongxing , Chen Xilian , Wu De - took proactive measures. On October 6, 1976 , Gang of Four members and Mao Yuanxin were arrested by Detachment 8341 .
In February 1981, Mao Yuanxin appeared in a group of former Air Force officers before a military court. This process was a peculiar continuation of the trial of the "counter-revolutionary groups Lin Biao and Jiang Qing", which ended a week earlier. Mao Yuanxin was convicted of “serious crimes against the state” and sentenced to 17 years in prison [5] .
Engineer in Shanghai. Family
After serving his term in 1993, Mao Yuanxin got a job as an engineer at a Shanghai automobile plant. In 1996, he received a residence house and a pay raise from the Shanghai administration. In 2001 , retired at the age of 60. He lives in Shanghai with his wife Quan Xiufeng and daughter Li Li, who was born in 1977 when his father was already in prison [6] .
Mao Yuanxin changed his name to Li Shi and basically avoids publicity. However, twice - in 2012 and 2013 - he was seen at events dedicated to the memory of Mao Zedong [7] .