Li Xiannian

Infobox President | name=Li Xiannian
李先念


nationality=Chinese
order=3rd President of the People's Republic of China
term_start=18 June 1983
term_end=8 April 1988
predecessor=Vacant, Liu Shaoqi
successor=Yang Shangkun
office1 = 5th Chairman of the CPPCC
term_start1 = April 1988
term_end1 = March 1993
predecessor1 = Deng Yingchao
successor1 = Li Ruihuan
birth_date=birth date|1909|6|23|df=y
birth_place=
death_date=death date and age|1992|6|21|1909|6|23|df=y
death_place=
spouse=
party=Communist Party of China
vice_president=

Li Xiannian (zh-cpw|c=李先念|p=Lǐ Xiānniàn|w=Li Hsien-nien) (23 June 1909–21 June 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.

Biography

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. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954285,00.html "History Beckons Again"] Kurt Anderson Time Magazine, (07 May 1984).]

References