Qiao Shi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Qiao Shi
乔石
Qiao Shi in 1994
6th Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
In office 27 March 1993 – 15 March 1998
Preceded by	Wan Li
Succeeded by	Li Peng
Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection
In office November 1, 1987 – October 18, 1992
Preceded by	Chen Yun (first secretary)
Succeeded by	Wei Jianxing
Director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party
In office June 1983 – April 1984
General Secretary	Hu Yaobang
Preceded by	Hu Qili
Succeeded by	Wang Zhaoguo
Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission
In office 1985–1992
Preceded by	Chen Pixian
Succeeded by	Ren Jianxin
Personal details
Born	(1924-12-24)24 December 1924 Shanghai, Republic of China
Died	14 June 2015(2015-06-14) (aged 90) Beijing, China
Political party	Chinese Communist Party (1940–1998)
Spouse	Yu Wen ​ ​ (m. 1952; died 2013)​
Children	2 sons and 2 daughters

Qiao Shi (24 December 1924 – 14 June 2015) was an important Chinese politician. He was a top leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He was part of the party's main decision-making group, the Politburo Standing Committee. He served there from 1987 to 1997.

Qiao Shi was considered for the top leadership role in China. However, he did not get the position. Instead, Jiang Zemin became the party's leader in 1989. Qiao Shi then served as the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. This was the third-highest political job in China. He held this role from 1993 until he retired in 1998. Qiao Shi was known for supporting the rule of law and economic changes. He wanted to make state-owned businesses more market-friendly.

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Qiao Shi was born as Jiang Zhitong in December 1924 in Shanghai. His father was an accountant. His mother worked in a textile factory. He studied literature at East China Associated University.

When he was sixteen, he joined underground revolutionary groups. He started using the name Jiang Qiaoshi. Later, he just used "Qiao Shi." He joined the CCP in August 1940. He was active in student movements against the Kuomintang. He was good at intelligence and security work.

Work During the Mao Era

After China was founded in 1949, Qiao Shi led the Communist Youth League in Hangzhou. He worked there until 1954. From 1954 to 1962, he worked at large steel companies. These were in Liaoning and Gansu provinces.

In 1963, Qiao Shi moved to the International Liaison Department (ILD). This department managed relationships with other communist countries. He was seen as an expert in international studies. He traveled to many communist nations.

During the Cultural Revolution (starting in 1966), Qiao Shi faced difficulties. His wife was related to a key advisor of Chiang Kai-shek. He was sent to work in rural labor camps. This happened first in Heilongjiang, then in Henan province. He returned to the ILD in 1971.

Rising Through the Ranks

After the Cultural Revolution ended, Qiao Shi became a deputy director of the ILD in 1978. He became the director in 1982. In this role, he managed relations with foreign communist parties. He also became a member of the central Secretariat. This group handled the party's daily tasks.

He also led the CCP General Office. This office managed the party's daily operations. He also led the Organization Department. This department was in charge of human resources. Under his leadership, the General Office focused on economic growth. This was part of China's "reform and opening-up" policy.

In 1985, Qiao Shi was chosen to lead the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission. This was due to his closeness to the party leader Hu Yaobang. He also had the support of top leader Deng Xiaoping. In the same year, he joined the Politburo. This was the second-highest level of power. In 1986, he became a Vice Premier.

Top Leadership Role

From 1987 to 1997, Qiao Shi was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. This was China's highest decision-making body. He oversaw internal security, intelligence, justice, and party rules. From 1987 to 1992, he also led the Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. This agency worked to prevent corruption in the party.

Tiananmen Square Events

Qiao Shi played a role during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. It is not fully clear if he supported or opposed the actions taken against the students. Some sources say he had mixed feelings. He was said to be understanding of the student movement. He did not vote on sending the army to Tiananmen Square in May 1989.

Qiao Shi kept his leadership position after the events. Other leaders who opposed the actions were removed. After Tiananmen Square, Qiao Shi and Premier Li Peng were considered for the top party leadership. However, Deng Xiaoping and other older leaders felt Li Peng was not suitable. Qiao Shi seemed like a good choice because of his experience.

But Qiao Shi did not become the party leader. Instead, Jiang Zemin took the top post in 1989. Jiang Zemin became president in 1993. It was never fully explained why Qiao Shi was not chosen. Some people thought he might be too strict because of his law enforcement background. Others thought he had lost favor with influential older leaders.

Qiao Shi became the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in March 1993. This was the third-highest political position. As head of the national legislature, he worked to make China's legal system stronger. He wanted the national congress to have real power in creating laws.

Relationship with Jiang Zemin

After 1989, Qiao Shi and Jiang Zemin had a difficult relationship. Jiang Zemin had quickly risen from a city leader to the party's top position. Qiao Shi was a senior party member with much more experience in central government. Jiang Zemin had less experience at the national level.

Qiao Shi also had a strong background from his early revolutionary days. Jiang Zemin's revolutionary experience seemed less significant. Many observers felt that Jiang had jumped ahead of Qiao Shi. Qiao Shi seemed more qualified and had a wider political network. Also, Qiao Shi had many trusted people in important positions across the country. This was seen as a potential challenge to Jiang's leadership.

Retirement and Legacy

After Deng Xiaoping died in 1997, Jiang Zemin strengthened his power. He set a retirement age of 70 for party officials. This led to Qiao Shi, who was 73, retiring from politics in 1998. After retirement, he mostly stayed out of public view.

Even after retiring, Qiao Shi was known for holding many important jobs. He had been a top official in party administration, human resources, party rules, intelligence, security, and the justice system. He oversaw law enforcement even when he was chairman of the National People's Congress.

Unlike other leaders like Jiang Zemin, Qiao Shi did not attend many major public events after he retired. In 2012, he published a book called Qiao Shi On Democracy and Rule of Law. This book got a lot of attention. People wondered if it was a subtle criticism of how the legal system was being handled. In 2014, Qiao Shi gave 11 million yuan to a foundation. This foundation works to promote justice and the rule of law.

Later Years and Passing

Qiao Shi passed away on 14 June 2015 in Beijing. He was 90 years old. In his official obituary, he was praised as an "excellent Party member" and a "time-tested fighter for the communist cause." He was the first major leader from the "third-generation of leadership" to die.

His death was announced as the third item on the evening news program. This kind of announcement is usually only for the highest-ranked leaders. Flags were flown at half-mast to honor him.

His funeral ceremony took place on June 19, 2015. Many top leaders attended, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Former leader Hu Jintao also attended. Jiang Zemin did not attend the funeral. However, state news said that Jiang and his family sent a wreath and expressed their sadness. Qiao Shi died just one month before former Chairman Wan Li passed away.

Family Life

Qiao Shi married Yu Wen (Chinese: 郁文; 1926–2013) in early 1952. They had met while working for the underground Communist Party in Shanghai in the 1940s. They had two daughters and two sons.

Their oldest son, Jiang Xiaoming (Chinese: 蒋小明; born 1953), earned a doctorate in economics. Their younger daughter, Qiao Xiaoxi (Chinese: 乔晓溪), studied medicine in the United States. They also had a son named Jiang Xiaodong (Chinese: 蒋小东) and a daughter named Qiao Ling (Chinese: 乔凌). Qiao's family has generally avoided public criticism or scandals.

Honors and Recognition

In April 1996, Qiao Shi received an honorary citizenship from Havana, Cuba. He also received an honorary doctorate in law from the University of Regina in Canada.

See also

In Spanish: Qiao Shi para niños