Zhang Qun

Zhang Qun (May 9, 1889 – December 14, 1990) was a Chinese politician and premier of China and a prominent member of the Kuomintang. He served as secretary general to the President of the Republic from 1954 to 1972 and senior advisor to Presidents Chiang Kai-shek, Yen Chia-kan, Chiang Ching-kuo, and Lee Teng-hui. Under the influence of his wife, Ma Yu-ying, he became a Christian in the 1930s. His platform was to prepare China for constitutional government, land reform, and price control. Despite his long ties with Chiang Kai-shek, he could not bring about the political reforms that he favored.

Committee of Three, from left, Nationalist representative Chang, General George Marshall and Communist representative Zhou Enlai.

Personal life A member of the board of the National Palace Museum, Chang was a renowned calligrapher, keen art collector, friend of great artists such as Chang Dai-chien, Huang Jun-bi and Ran In-ting, and recipient of honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of Illinois, Seoul National University, St. John's University (New York), Sungkyunkwan University and Soochow University (Taiwan). He died at the age of , of heart and kidney failure, at Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, on December 14, 1990. From 20 January 1990, when former Japanese Prime Minister Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni died until his own death, Chang was the world's oldest living former head of government.

Chang's wife, Ma Yu-ying (馬育英; pinyin: Ma Yuying), was a devout Christian and died in 1974. His daughter, Yalan Chang Lew (劉張亞蘭; pinyin: Liu Zhang Yalan), died on July 14, 2014, at age 97 in Seattle, US; she was the widow of Ambassador Yu-tang Daniel Lew (劉毓棠; pinyin: Liu Yutang), who had died in 2005 at age 92 in Taipei. His son, Dr. Philip Chi-cheng Chang (張繼正; pinyin: Zhang Jizheng), who died on October 24, 2015, at age 96 in Taipei, was former communications minister 1969–72, chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development 1973–76, finance minister 1978–81 and governor of the Central Bank of China 1984–89. His second son, Rev. Dr. , who died on October 26, 2020, at age 92 in California, was vice president of the Truth Theological Seminary and pastor emeritus of the Mandarin Baptist Church of Pasadena, California.

Awards

Order of National Glory Order of Blue Sky and White Sun Order of Chiang Chung-Cheng Order of the Brilliant Star, Special Class with Grand Cordon Order of the Three Stars, 1st Class (January 19, 1937) Order of Merit for National Foundation, Independence Medal (1968)