Geng Biao

Geng Biao (; 26 August 1909 – 23 June 2000) was a senior official in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and a leader in Chinese politics, foreign relations, and military.

Early life Geng was born in Liling, Hunan Province of China. In 1926, he led a miners' military campaign and failed. In 1928, he organized and led a militia in Liuyang. In August of that year, he joined the CCP. His army occupied East Gansu Province and was responsible for guarding the western border of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Region. During this time period, he entered the Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party. After graduation, he went to the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region and became a military leader there. He helped lead the Eighth Route Army to seize Zhangjiakou in 1945.

Chinese Civil War

In 1946, Geng accompanied Ye Jianying to participate in the Beiping Military Conciliatory Commission, initiated by General George C. Marshall to promote and prevent the outbreak of civil war between the Chinese Communists and Nationalists. Geng was the vice chief of staff of CCP's delegates. After the conciliation failed, he went back to the Jin-Cha-Ji Region and became the chief of staff of the Field Army in the military region. In 1948, he was appointed as the vice commander of the second army group in North China Military Region. He fought in the Pingjin Campaign and the capture of Taiyuan.

Political career Geng Biao with Greta Belfrage, the wife of the Swedish Foreign Ministry deputy cabinet secretary Leif Belfrage at a diplomatic dinner in Blasieholmen on 19 February 1955.

After the formation of People's Republic of China, Geng was appointed as the ambassador to Sweden, and minister to Denmark and Finland on 9 May 1950. He was also the ambassador to Pakistan, Myanmar and Albania. He returned to China in 1971, and became the head of CCP's central foreign communication department, in charge of CCP's relations with foreign parties.

On 6 October 1976, he was ordered to take control of the broadcast and TV stations in Beijing, during the putsch against the Gang of Four. Subsequently, he supervised the propaganda efforts of the CCP. In 1978, he was appointed as vice-premier of the State Council, in charge of foreign relations, military industry, civil airlines and tourism. In January 1979, he became the secretary-general and member of Standing Committee of CCP's Central Military Commission. During this time Xi Jinping was one of three of Geng Biao's secretaries.

When Geng visited the U.S. in 1980, Xi got a first-hand view of American military power, visiting the Pentagon, Pearl Harbor, Fort Bragg and boarding a Kitty Hawk class aircraft carrier. In the late 1970s, Geng had argued that it was strategically wise for China to form closer relations with the U.S., as a bulwark against possible encroachment by the Soviet Union:

In 1981, Geng became the first Minister of National Defense of the People's Republic of China not to have held the rank of Marshal, and the only one never to have received a military rank despite his previous combat experience. In 1982, he was replaced as Minister of National Defense, but was named Vice Chairman of the Central Advisory Commission of the CCP. In June 1983, he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. In July 1988, he was awarded the First-Class Red Star Medal of Merit by the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

Geng Biao died on 23 June 2000 in Beijing at age 90. In his final years, he was known for presenting the "Geng Biao Question" to cadres of the Party: "If one day you get sentenced, how far will the people you govern go to plead your case in an attempt to save you?"