Luo Qingchang

Luo Qingchang (; 4 September 1918 15 April 2014) was a Chinese politician and long-time leader of the security and intelligence services of the Chinese Communist Party, where he worked for 45 years (1938–1983), eventually serving as Director of the Central Investigation Department (the primary civilian intelligence agency) from 1973 to 1983.

Biography Luo wao born to a peasant family in Cangxi County, Sichuan, Republic of China in September 1918. He joined the Communist Youth League of China in 1932 at age 14, and the Chinese Red Army (predecessor of the People's Liberation Army) in 1934, taking part in the Long March (1934–35). Luo joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1936.

Initially working in political propaganda among young soldiers, Luo caught the eye of Wu Defeng, an experienced Communist Party intelligence agent, who recommended him to the Central Party School in Yan'an, where Luo studied from September 1937 to July 1938, receiving political and military training. Immediately afterwards, from July to December 1938, he was part of the Intelligence Training Class at Zaoyuan (near Yan'an) where some of his instructors were Soviet-trained agents.

The Central Investigation Department also worked to combat the US trade embargo on China (in place since 1950) by collaborating with the Greek shipping billionaire Aristotle Onassis, whose ships went on to secretly carry cargo to Chinese ports in violation of the embargo.

During the early stages of the Cultural Revolution, in 1966 and 1967, Luo Qingchang was initially named as a "black element" and endured persecution by the Red Guards, but very soon he managed to escape harm and return to his duties; this was almost unique among high-ranking CID officials, and probably had to do with Luo's friendship with Premier Zhou Enlai and Wang Dongxing; nearly all leading officials of the CID were purged between 1966 and 1970.

Personal life Luo had six children, his eldest child named Luo Kang , born in the Second Sino-Japanese War; the second son named Luo Ting , born in the Chinese Civil War; the third son named Luo Yuan, born in the Korean War, his youngest son was Luo Zhen .