Fang Yi

Fang Yi (; 26 February 1916 – 17 October 1997) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, diplomat, and high-ranking politician. As a military leader, he participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, he served as Vice Governor of Fujian, Vice Mayor of Shanghai, economic representative at the Chinese embassy in North Vietnam, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Vice Premier of China. He was also a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.

Early life On 26 February 1916, Fang Yi was born in Xiamen, Fujian Province to a poor family. He original name was Fang Qingji . He had an older brother, and his mother died 26 days after Fang Yi was born. His father remarried, and had another son and daughter. When Fang Yi was eight his father also died, and the family fell into abject poverty.

War-time career He later went to Shanghai and worked at the Commercial Press, a leading publishing house. However, he was arrested by the Kuomintang in 1934, and sentenced to eight years in prison for his Communist activism.

To further promote Deng's priority of science as the forerunner of China's modernization, Deng in 1977 began a campaign to promote the 1978 National Science Conference. Fang led the team implementing it, instructing schools, factories, and communes to organize youth-focused events celebrating science and technology.

When Deng rose to power, Fang was made one of China's vice-premiers in March 1978, and was elected as a member of the 11th CCP Politburo (re-elected to the 12th Politburo in 1982). He also served as President of the CAS from 1979 to 1981. Under Deng's leadership, China established economic contacts with the Western world, and Fang led Chinese delegations to Japan and West Germany. He also accompanied Deng on the latter's historic visit to the United States in January 1979. Fang headed a separate delegation to American technological centers, such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Texas Medical Center, and a Lockheed plant near Los Angeles, with the aim of advancing China's industry.

In May 1982, Fang became a state councilor, serving until 1988. He was also a member of the Presidium of the 12th Congress of the CCP. In 1988, he was appointed a Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, serving until 1993. He was honorary chairman of the Chinese Weiqi Association from 1977 until his death.

On 17 October 1997, Fang Yi died in Beijing at the age of 81.

Personal Fang Yi married his wife Yin Sen in 1940, when he was fighting in Anhui Province during the Sino-Japanese War. Because his parents died early, he did not know his own birthdate until he got in touch with relatives when he was 60.