'Li Xiannian' () (
June 23,
1909–
June 21,
1992) was
President of the People's Republic of China between
1983 and
1988 and then president of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference until his death. Li joined the
Communist Party of China in 1927, and served as an army captain and political commissar for the Chinese Red Army during the
Long March. He was an influential political figure throughout the PRC, having been a member of the
Politburo of the Communist Party of China since
1956. He fell from favour after the
Cultural Revolution but was made finance minister in
1973 by
Zhou Enlai, and started early moves to a market-based economy. For some years he was a deputy prime minister. He is considered as one of the
Eight Immortals of Communist Party of China.
[1]
References
1. "History Beckons Again" Kurt Anderson Time Magazine, (May 07, 1984).