Zhou Enlai , Ngen-lay Tcheou or In-Lay Cabbage (in Chinese 周恩来; March 5th 1898 with Huaian - January 8th 1976) was a politician Chinese. It defended the Marxisme and took part in the creation of the Chinese Communist party. Starting from 1924, it was one of the leaders of the Académie of Huangpu directed by Tchang Kaï-chek.

• Founder of the European branch of the Chinese Communist party (PCC) in 1927

• Chief of the Communist party of the Chinese Soviet republic of the Jiangxi in 1931
• Foreign Minister of 1949 with 1958
• First representative of China abroad
• Prime Minister, it took part in the Conférence of Bandung in April 1955

The advertisement of its death caused demonstrations which were repressed.

In contrast with Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai knew several languages, was familiar with several cultures and practiced several ways of thinking.

Youth

Born with Huaian, in the province of the Jiangsu, it was the elder one of an easy family originating in Tianjin. It made its studies with the college of Nankai, then with the Japan, the university Meiji, between 1915 and 1918. On its return of Nankai, it was held during one short period because of its radical ideas. After its release in 1920, it left to study in France within the framework of the Mouvement Work-Studies, then with the the United Kingdom and in Germany. It joined the Chinese Communist party in 1921, then turned over to China in 1924 to work with Sun Yat-SEN.

The August 8th 1925, it Maria with Deng Yingchao, a coed activist, in Tianjin. She became thereafter an important member of the PCC. The couple did not have children, but adopted several orphans of “  martyrs révolutionnaires  ”, of which most known was Li Peng.

During the revolution (1919-1949)

Zhou obtained a national recognition the first time at the time of the Mouvement of May 4th in 1919, taking the head of an attack against an office of the government during a demonstration against the Traité of Versailles. In 1920 he moved in France, with Montargis where he was active near the Chinese students and of the French activists.

Zhou Enlai shared same housing, on the side of the Porte of Italy to Paris, with Deng Xiaoping (young person and smallest of approximately 1,60m) and Jean Ho (largest of approximately 1,90m and the same age as Zhou). It became acquainted in Paris with Ho Chi Minh which was called at the time Nguyen Have Guoc.

After its return in China, it chaired the political department of the Académie of Huangpu Guangzhou, at the time of its foundation in 1926: the Soviet envoys saw in this nomination an effective counterpoint with the nationalism of Tchang Kaï-chek marked on the right.

After the Forwarding of North, he worked like agitator near the workers. In 1927, it organized, on the orders of the Komintern, a general strike with Shanghai, which was repressed hard by the Guomindang. It succeeds in escaping the “  terror blanche  ” of Guomindang. It is of this period that André Malraux, says one, took as a starting point Zhou Enlai to build the character of “  Kyo  ” in its novel “  the human condition   ”. Jean Cremet, communist French sent by the Comintern in China, was then active in Shanghai.

From Shanghai, it joined in December 1931 the news Chinese Soviet republic lately created, on the basis of revolutionary Jiangxi where Mao Zedong started to organize a guerilla country-woman, less orthodoxe because nonurban. It took the functions of chief of the party and became on this occasion one of the prominent members of the PCC. This transition towards the campaigns was supplemented at the time of the Long walk, when it posted its total support in Mao in the power struggle with the 28 Bolsheviks.

During the following years, Zhou was active in the union of the face anti-Japanese. He thus played an important role in the incident of Xi' year, helping with the release of Tchang Kaï-chek, and negotiating the second PCC-Guomindang united front. “  the Chinese should not fight the Chinese but a single enemy: the invader.   ” Zhou passed the Sino-Japanese war (1937-1945) as ambassador of the PCC near the government of Tchang Kaï-chek, based with Chongqing, and took share in the fallen through negotiations making following the Second world war.

After the foundation of the Popular republic of China (1949-1976)

In 1949, with the foundation of the Popular republic of China, Zhou became Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. In June 1953, it made the Five statements for peace. It led the Chinese delegation to Geneva for the Conférence of Bandung in 1955, at the time of which it survived the attempted murder on behalf of a Taiwanese agent. This last had posed a bomb on the plane which Zhou was to take (this one changed flight), and which killed sixteen passengers. In 1958, Chen Yi became Foreign Minister but Zhou remained Prime Minister.

Zhou concentrated on the economy with its post of Prime Minister. He wanted to initially increase the agricultural production, for a fair distribution on the worldwide. It is him which initiated the first environmental reforms in China.

In 1958, Mao Zedong started the Grand Step ahead, intended to increase the level of Chinese production industrial to heights proving to be unrealistic. Popular and pragmatic administrator, Zhou maintained his position during this period. The Cultural revolution was on the other hand a large reverse for Zhou. At the end of this one in 1975, it promoted the realization of the " Four modernizations" to clog the breach and the losses caused by the Cultural revolution.

Recognized diplomat, Zhou was largely responsible for the re-establishment of the diplomatic contacts with the countries of the capitalist block to the beginning of the year 1970, and of the Official statement of Shanghai.

Realizing that it had a cancer, it déléga much of its responsibilities with Deng Xiaoping.

Zhou is regarded by much as having had a moderating influence on excesses of the mode Maoist. It was suggested that it the USA of its capacity to protect some from the oldest Chinese historic sites (the such prohibited City, in Beijing) against devastations of the Cultural revolution. It was however an enthusiastic Communist.

Died and reactions

Zhou was hospitalized in 1974 for its cancer, but continued its work of leader starting from the hospital, with Deng Xiaoping like first delegated, which took de facto the majority of the responsibilities. He died on January 8th, 1976, eight month before Mao. The death of Zhou caused messages of sympathy of many the non-aligned countries, which saw a great loss there.

In China, the Bande of the four had seen in the death of Zhou an excellent opportunity for their political operations - the last obstacle being raised. After the funeral of Zhou, Deng Xiaoping was isolated capacity. Being given the popularity of Zhou, many popular demonstrations burst spontaneously, and were considered dangereous because of the Band of the four. During the in April 1976 All Souls' Day, the commemorations in favor of Zhou gave place to confrontations: the Band of the four was afraid that the love expressed in favor of Zhou does not change of hatred towards them.

With the Conference of Geneva in 1954, Zhou Enlai and inter alia the French Pierre Mendès France (president of the Council) were the craftsmen of the Agreements of Geneva to put an end to the First War of Indo-China.