Yang Shangkun

4th President of the People's Republic of China (1907-1998) · China · Politicians · Died at 91

Yang Shangkun is read about 944 times a day, in 40 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 6 October 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 381 days, one point a day.

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He held the presidency of China and commanded the military machine that cleared Tiananmen Square in 1989. A bureaucratic operator who survived Mao's purges and returned to orchestrate the crackdown that defined a generation's relationship with the state.

Politicians Politician Politics China Asia 20th Century

A life in dates

1998Died14 September 19981989“The Military Commission has decided to convene an emergency enlarged meeting and has asked the principally responsible comrades of all major units to attend.”In their words24 May 1989Speech at the Military Affairs Commission Meeting (May 24, 1989)Read the whole statement

“The arrival of PLA troops in the vicinity of Beijing is definitely not aimed at dealing with students. They have not come here to deal with the students.”In their words"Li Peng Delivers Important Speech On Behalf Of Party Central Committee And State Council" (1989)Read the whole statement

1984“Strengthening the building of a modernized army is a basic task of our army during the new historical period.”In their wordsBuilding Chinese-Style Modernized Armed Forces (1984) (excerpts)Read the whole statement

“Taking the modernization of our army as the key task is determined by the history and practical conditions of our army.”In their wordsBuilding Chinese-Style Modernized Armed Forces (1984) (excerpts)Read the whole statement

“The modernization of an army is closely related to the political system, economic strength, military strategy, and scientific and technological level of a state.”In their wordsBuilding Chinese-Style Modernized Armed Forces (1984) (excerpts)Read the whole statement

“We should develop the most urgently needed new types of weapons and equipment as soon as possible.”In their wordsBuilding Chinese-Style Modernized Armed Forces (1984) (excerpts)Read the whole statement

1907Born5 July 1907

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

Yang Shangkun 2

1936 Deng Xiaoping and Red Army leaders

80th Anniversary Kim Il-Sung

Chen Geng1937-5

HSJT1938

Inscription by Yang Shangkun in 1982 at Baiwangshan (20250507160210)

Mao Zedong visit Nikolai Bulganin

Ronald Reagan meeting with Yang Shangkun (1987) (cropped) 01

In their own words 10

Yang Shangkun

10 statements, newest first

The Military Commission has decided to convene an emergency enlarged meeting and has asked the principally responsible comrades of all major units to attend.
May 24, 1989, Speech at the Military Affairs Commission Meeting (May 24, 1989), Own words
First of all, I fully support the report and the various demands that Comrade Li Peng has made on behalf of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau.
1989, "Li Peng Delivers Important Speech On Behalf Of Party Central Committee And State Council" (1989), Own words
The arrival of PLA troops in the vicinity of Beijing is definitely not aimed at dealing with students. They have not come here to deal with the students.
1989, "Li Peng Delivers Important Speech On Behalf Of Party Central Committee And State Council" (1989), Own words

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Awards

People's Liberation Army Strategist

In their orbit 3

Spouse Li Bozhao

Sibling Yang Baibing

Sibling Yang Angong

About this person

Born in 1907 to a land-owning family, Yang studied at Shanghai University and trained in Moscow as one of the 28 Bolsheviks. From 1945 to 1965 he ran the General Office and served as Secretary-General of the Central Military Commission, controlling document flow, records, and fund allocation - the machinery that made government move. The Cultural Revolution put him in prison for 12 years. He emerged in 1978 as Deng Xiaoping's ally, championing economic reform while citing Lenin's New Economic Policy, though he rejected political liberalization and defended Mao's record despite his own suffering. With his half-brother General Yang Baibing, he became one of the most powerful figures in the People's Liberation Army through the 1980s. After initial hesitation, he planned and supervised the operations that cleared Tiananmen Square in June 1989. He served as president from 1988 to 1993, but his attempt to undermine Jiang Zemin and retain control of the PLA failed; a coalition of Party elders, including Deng, forced him out.

Country

China