Biographies related to China

Zhōu Ēnlái (周恩来; Wade-Giles: Chou En-lai) was born to a well off family in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, China on March 5, 1898 and died January 8, 1976. During his life he played a major role in bringing to power the Communist Party of China. In 1949 Zhou Enlai became the first Premier of the People's Republic of China — a post that he held until his death in 1976.

Yuán Shìkǎi (Traditional: 袁世凱; Simplified: 袁世凯; Wade-Giles: Yüan Shih-k'ai) was born September 16, 1859 in Chenzhou (陳州府) within Henan province and died on June 5, 1916. He was a important military officer and politician during the later years of the Chinese Qing Dynasty. He was instrumental in arranging the abdication of the child Emperor Puyi. After the fall of the Qing Empire, Yuan Shikai was elected President of the new Republic of China.

Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙), is styled as "the father of the modern Chinese nation." Within China he is better known by the name Sūn Zhōngshān (孫中山). He was the leader of the revolutionary movement that overthrew the Qing dynasty of China in 1911. He founded the Republic of China and was leader of the Kuomintang party (KMT). However he never held effective power in China himself, because he was too trusting and naive in dealings with leading generals and politicians. His republican ideas and modernizing vision based on his philosophy of the Three Principles of the People proved central to China, and he became an iconic hero to the Chinese people across the world.

Máo Zédōng (Simplified: 毛泽东; Traditional: 毛澤東; Wade-Giles: Mao Tse-tung), the son of a peasant farmer, was born on December 26, 1893, in the small village of Shao Shan, Hunan province, China. When he died on September 9, 1976 he had become the Chairman of the People's Republic of China.

Eric Liddell (January 16, 1902 – February 21, 1945) became known as the 'Flying Scotsman' due to his sporting prowess. He won gold at the 1924 Paris Olympic games in the 400 metres event. He became immortalised in the award winning film 'Chariots of Fire' which tells the story of the British Olympic team at the 1924 games. 

Dèng Xiǎopíng (邓小平; Wade-Giles: Teng Hsiao-p'ing;) was born August 22, 1904 and died February 19, 1997. He came from Paifang village in Xiexing township, Guang'an County, Sichuan Province, in China. He became a significant figure within the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石; Pinyin: Jiǎng Jièshí; Cantonese: Jyäng Kī-shĕk;) (1887–1975) was the leader of the Republic of China, 1927-1975. He headed the Kuomintang Party (KMT) (or "Guomindang Party" (GMD) or Nationalist Party). His KMT controlled mainland China after he defeated regional warlords in the 1920s. The Japanese took over Manchuria in 1931, and invaded the rest of China in 1937, quickly controlling the major cities and seacoast.

Chiang was the Supreme Commander of the China-Burma-India (CBI)Theater for the Allies in 1941-45, but was ineffective in driving back the Japanese. After the defeat of Japan in 1945 the KMT battled the Chinese Communists under Mao Zedong, who won in 1948, forcing Chiang and his KMT to the offshore island of Taiwan, which Chiang ruled until his death. A modernizer who embraced Christianity and built a strong and lucrative alliance with the United States, Chiang could not overcome the corruption which had been tolerated by the KMT in China. After relocating to Taiwan, he overcame the corruption there and made the island a model of economic prosperity and capitalism.