Ye Xuanping facts for kids

Ye Xuanping (Chinese: 叶选平) was an important Chinese politician. He was born on 20 December 1924 and passed away on 17 September 2019. He served as the Mayor of Guangzhou from 1980 to 1985. Later, he became the Governor of Guangdong province, where he was born, from 1985 to 1991.

Ye Xuanping strongly supported the economic changes led by Deng Xiaoping. These changes helped China open up its economy. Under Ye's leadership, Guangdong province became very successful economically. It also gained more freedom from the central government in Beijing.

Because he was so powerful, the national government tried to reduce his influence. However, they allowed him to keep his strong position in Guangdong. After leaving the governorship, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 1991 to 2003.

Ye Xuanping was the oldest son of Ye Jianying. His father was one of the ten founding military leaders, known as the Ten Marshals, of the People's Republic of China. His father also played a key role in ending the Cultural Revolution. After his father's death, Ye Xuanping became the leader of their influential family, sometimes called the "Ye Dynasty."

Ye Xuanping's Early Life

Ye Xuanping was born in November 1924 in Meixian, Guangdong, China. He was the first son of Ye Jianying. His father later became one of the founding Ten Marshals of China. When Ye Xuanping was born, his father was working as a local official. His mother, Feng Hua, raised him.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Ye Xuanping lived in Yan'an. This was the main base for the Communist Party of China. He did not see his father again until 1941. From 1941 to 1945, he studied mechanics at the Yan'an Institute of Natural Sciences. He joined the Communist Party in 1945. After finishing his studies, he worked in factories in Yan'an.

His Career Beginnings

After the People's Republic of China was formed in 1949, Ye Xuanping continued his education. He studied briefly at Harbin Institute of Technology and Tsinghua University from 1949 to 1950. Then, he worked at a machine tool factory in Shenyang.

In 1952, he went to the Soviet Union for special training at a machine tool factory. When he returned to China in 1954, he became the Chief Engineer of the Shenyang No. 1 Machine Tool Factory. In 1962, he moved to Beijing and worked as Chief Engineer of the Beijing No. 1 Machine Tool Factory until 1973. From 1973 to 1977, he was a deputy head in the Beijing Machinery Bureau.

In 1976, his father, Marshal Ye Jianying, helped to remove a powerful political group known as the Gang of Four. This event also marked the end of the Cultural Revolution. In 1977, Ye Xuanping studied at the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China. From 1978 to 1980, he served as a director in the State Science and Technology Commission.

Leading Guangdong Province

In 1980, Ye Xuanping became the Mayor of Guangzhou. At the same time, he was also the Vice Governor of Guangdong province. In the summer of 1985, he was promoted to Governor of Guangdong. He took over from Liang Lingguang.

Ye Xuanping was a strong supporter of Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms. He believed in making the economy more open. He actively promoted Guangdong's special economic zones, like Shenzhen and Hainan. These zones were created to attract foreign investment and boost the economy. He also built strong relationships with important business leaders from Hong Kong and Macau.

As a member of the Communist Party's Central Committee, Ye Xuanping supported the reform efforts. He worked with other regional leaders to push for economic changes.

Under Ye's leadership, Guangdong became very successful economically. It also gained more independence from the central government in Beijing. People in Hong Kong even called him the "Emperor of the South" because of his power. The central government became worried about his growing influence.

In April 1991, Ye Xuanping agreed to step down as Governor. He accepted a new role as Vice Chairman of the 7th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). This was a high-ranking position. In return, Beijing agreed to appoint his chosen successor, Zhu Senlin, as the new Governor. They also allowed Ye to continue living in Guangdong. It was reported that Ye had threatened to reduce Guangdong's financial contributions to Beijing if his requests were not met. This allowed him to keep his strong influence in the province. He served two more terms as Vice Chairman of the CPPCC until 2003.

Ye Xuanping was a member of the 13th and 14th Central Committees of the Communist Party. He also served as a delegate to the 5th and 6th National People's Congresses. He passed away in Guangzhou on 17 September 2019, at the age of 94.

Ye Xuanping's Family

After his father, Marshal Ye Jianying, passed away, Ye Xuanping became the head of their powerful family. This family was sometimes called the "Ye Dynasty." His younger half-brother, Ye Xuanning, was a military intelligence chief for China. He passed away in 2016. Another brother, Ye Xuanlian, managed a company related to the People's Liberation Army. His sister, Ye Chumei, is married to Zou Jiahua, who used to be a Vice Premier of China.

Ye Xuanping's son, Ye Xinfu, is a businessman in Hong Kong. He founded a large company called P W Asia. He also served as a director for many other companies, including a major jewelry chain. His grandson, Ye Zhonghao, was appointed to lead a special industrial development zone in Guangdong in 2017.