Sun Yefang

Sun Yefang (孙冶方, 1908 - 1983) was a pioneering Chinese economist.

He studied at Sun Yat-sen University and after graduation, he taught political economy and translation at Zhongshan University and at Moscow East Worker University.

In 1930, he returned to China to take part in organizing the China Rural Economy Research Association. At this time, he also edited the journal Zhongguo Nongcun ("Rural China") (《中国农村》).

After Chinese liberation, he held positions as head of the Department of Heavy Industry, Shanghai Military Control Commission; Assistant Commissioner, State Statistical Bureau; Director, Economics Institute at the Chinese Academy of Science; Commissioner, Fifth Session of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; delegate, 12th National Party Congress; member, Advisory Commission of the Central Committee of the CCP; member, State Council Academic Appraisal Committee.

Sun advocated market-oriented reforms and was denounced by the Maoists as "China's Liberman" (referring to the Khrushchev-era economist Evsei Liberman) as a result of a damaging association with Liu Shaoqi, who was known as China's Khrushchev".

He was associated with the career of pioneer post-Marxist Chinese liberal Gu Zhun, acting as the latter's protector during anti-Rightist purges to which he himself was eventually to succumb.