Fu Zhong

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Fu Zhong (傅钟, Fù Zhōng) was a Chinese general and longtime political leader of the People's Liberation Army. He was born on June 23, 1900, in Sichuan and died on July 28, 1989, in Beijing.

He joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 while studying in Shanghai, inspired by the May Fourth Movement, and later studied at Moscow Sun Yat-sen University, graduating in 1930. After returning to China, he worked with Zhou Enlai in Shanghai and helped translate important Soviet military-political texts.

During the Long March, Fu Zhong handled community distribution and prep work for combat. He held various political roles in the Eighth Route Army, including director of the Central Committee Northwest Organization Department and head of the political department at the Counter-Japanese Military and Political University. He was also deputy director of the Central Military Commission’s political department.

Fu Zhong attended the Luochuan Conference in 1938 and helped push political reforms with leaders like Zhu De and Peng Dehuai. In 1945, he spoke at the CCP’s 7th National Congress, earning praise from Mao Zedong for stressing party unity. In 1946 he moved to Chongqing to head Xinhua Daily and serve as propaganda minister for Sichuan, contributing to important military-political documents.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Fu Zhong became the deputy director of the PLA General Political Department, a key position he held for many years. He received top military honors and played a major role in shaping the party’s political and military framework, though he faced criticism during the Cultural Revolution. He also served in other party and military advisory roles and was active in arts and culture circles.

Fu Zhong was awarded several first-class honors, including the Bayi Medal, the Order of Independence and Freedom, and the Order of Liberation. He retired in 1985 and passed away in 1989, remembered by the CCP as a loyal revolutionary and a distinguished leader in military political work.