Rao Shushi

Rao Shushi ( chino simplificado :饶漱石; chino tradicional :饒漱石; pinyin : Ráo Shùshí ; Wade–Giles : Jao Shu-shih ; 1903-1975) fue un político chino y líder del Partido Comunista Chino (PCCh) antes de ser purgado en 1954 junto con Gao Gang . Fue encarcelado en 1955 y murió bajo custodia en 1975.

Como nativo de Lingchuan (灵川), Jiangxi , Rao fue uno de los pocos líderes de alto rango de la etapa inicial del PCCh que recibió educación superior. Se educó en la Universidad de Shanghái en su juventud y posteriormente se unió a la Juventud China, convirtiéndose en miembro del PCCh en 1925. Alrededor de 1928, Rao trabajó en el noreste de Jiangxi con delegaciones centrales del PCCh. Luego fue enviado a Zhejiang para movilizar a la juventud, y una vez fue Secretario de la Liga de la Juventud Comunista de esa provincia. Cuando la revolución de la década de 1920 fue reprimida por el Kuomintang , Rao viajó al extranjero para estudiar en Inglaterra, Francia y la Unión Soviética durante aproximadamente un año. Regresó a China y trabajó en el noreste del país en 1929, siendo nombrado Secretario de la Liga de la Juventud Comunista, una vez Secretario General Interino del PCCh del noreste, como superior de Liu Shaoqi , quien era Ministro de Propaganda de la división noreste del PCCh. Dado que Liu era tan joven y había sido elegido Comisionado Central del PCCh en el Sexto Congreso Nacional del PCCh, era el más propenso a ser ascendido a Secretario General del PCCh del noreste, y de hecho Liu alcanzó el puesto poco después, lo que supuso una gran amenaza para Rao y sembró las semillas del resentimiento y los celos durante varias décadas.

Entre 1930 y 1931, Rao fue encarcelado por el Kuomintang durante más de un año. Posteriormente, fue liberado en 1932 y trasladado a Shanghái para trabajar en el ámbito sindical, desempeñando primero los cargos de Ministro de Propaganda y Secretario General de la Unión Estatal del Trabajo de China, mientras que su rival Liu volvió a ascender al puesto de Presidente de dicha unión.

En 1935, Rao fue enviado nuevamente a estudiar al extranjero, a la Unión Soviética , y en 1936 a Estados Unidos y Francia para trabajar en la creación de alianzas con chinos que vivían en el extranjero. Durante este tiempo, publicó varios periódicos, como Herald y Motherland Defence Times, para dar a conocer las políticas del PCCh sobre la alianza contra los japoneses.

In 1939 Rao returned to China and worked in the New 4th Army, acting as Deputy General Secretary of Southeast Bureau of CCP. In 1941 when New 4th Army was attacked by Kuomintang army and lost most of its senior leaders, Rao had to work for Liu again, who was appointed as Commissar, and Rao as Acting Director of Political Department. Furthermore, the Central Committee of CCP decided to merge Southeast Bureau with Central Plain Burean into Central China Bureau, Liu as general secretary, Rao as his deputy.

In 1942, Rao replaced Liu who was called back to Yan'an as Acting general secretary and Commissar of New 4th Army. In the Seventh National Congress of CCP in 1945, Rao was voted as Central Commissioner, which meant he had entered the central stage of political life of CCP, and in August of the same year, both of his acting position turned into regularity.

In 1946, Rao was one of the CCP delegates to work with delegates of Kuomintang and the United States on peace talks, with rank of Lieutenant General, many of his counterparts who got rank of Colonel General and General after they defeated Kuomintang in 1949 only got rank of Major General at that time, which could indicated Rao's appeal and importance to Mao Zedong. After the outbreak of Chinese civil war, Rao held the position of Commissar of Shandong Field Army, East China Field Army and East China Military Area, which controlled troops more than 360,000. In 1948 Rao was appointed as General Secretary of East China Bureau of CCP. Although Chen Yi as Commander was No1 in East China but he only took in charge of the military, in contrast to Rao's having more influence on cadres appointment and promotion, which built his power base in East China.

After the formal establishment of People's Republic of China in 1949, Rao held the position of Chairman of Military and Political Committee of East China besides General Secretary of East China Bureau of CCP. And in the same year, Rao, Gao Gang, Lin Biao, Peng Dehuai, Liu Bocheng were appointed respectively as the Chairman of East China, Northeast China, South Central China, Northwestern China and Southwestern China.

In 1953 Rao was transferred to Beijing and got promotion as Minister of Organization Department of CCP, which was in charge of senior cadres promotion and candidate recommendation. It was said that Gao Gang who was transferred to Beijing in 1953 too, competed with Liu Shaoqi as heir to Mao Zedong, exploiting Rao's hostilities to Liu and set up ally with Rao. Unfortunately, Gao and Rao obviously underestimated Mao's fear of being a puppet and Liu's influence in the CCP. Both of them were purged in 1954 and stripped of CCP membership in 1955.

Gao Gang expressed his resistance by way of suicide in 1954, Rao was put in jail in humiliation in 1955. After ten years in jail, Rao suffered from schizophrenia. Mao showed his clemency by releasing Rao and taking Rao custody in a farm until his death in 1975.

• "Rao Shushi."