Hu Jiwei (Chinese: 胡绩伟; August 1916 – September 16, 2012) was a Chinese journalist and a senior Chinese official who served as the president of the People's Daily (1982–1983) and previously its editor-in-chief. As an influential liberal official, Hu was a long-time champion of freedom of the press and political reforms in mainland China, calling "people's spirit should be above Party spirit (人民性高于党性)". Hu also served as a vice director of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the National People's Congress between 1983 and 1989, but was purged from the central leadership after the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989.
Biography
Hu Jiwei was born in Zigong, Sichuan in August 1916 (some says September 1916). In 1935, Hu enrolled in West China Medical Center, but transferred to Sichuan University in 1936, when he became an active member in a number of newspaper and magazines. Hu joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1937, and in 1939, he travelled to Yan'an and subsequently worked for Jiefang Daily and Xinhua News Agency. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Hu became a deputy editor-in-chief of People's Daily in 1952, as an assistant to Deng Tuo.
Hu was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), and soon afterwards was appointed the editor-in-chief of the People's Daily in January 1977 and played an important role during the Boluan Fanzheng period. Hu worked as the newspaper's president between April 1982 and October 1983, under Hu Yaobang, then General Secretary of the CCP and a leader of reformists within the CCP. However, Hu Jiwei was criticized for his liberal remarks by left-wing conservative figures within the CCP such as Hu Qiaomu, and was forced to resign as the president of People's Daily during the Campaign against spiritual pollution in 1983.
From 1983 to 1989, Hu served as a vice director of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the National People's Congress, as a member of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, the top legislature in China. In the meantime, he tried to pass laws to protect free press in mainland China, but did not succeed. After the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989, Hu was purged from the central leadership. However, Hu continued to support free press and called for political reforms in mainland China.
Hu died at the age of 96 in Beijing on September 16, 2012.
See also
References
- ^ "Former head of People's Daily dies at 96". China Daily. Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
- ^ "Former People's Daily chief editor Hu Jiwei sought Tiananmen vindication". South China Morning Post. 2012-09-18. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
- "Party Spirit". China Media Project. 2021-12-12. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
- ^ Hai, Tao (2013-09-17). "人民日报重炒马列 理论争执再起硝烟". Voice of America (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-04-23. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
- ^ Bao, Yujun (2012-10-08). "报人气概" [The spirit of a journalist]. Caixin. Archived from the original on 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
- ^ Xu, Qingquan (2012-12-13). "报人胡绩伟" [Journalist Hu Jiwei]. Ai Sixiang (爱思想) (in Chinese). Caijing. Archived from the original on 2024-05-03.
- Iyer, Pico (1983-11-28). "China: Battling Spiritual Pollution". TIME. Archived from the original on 2024-09-07. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
- "China must abandon censorship". The Guardian. 2010-10-13. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
- Kong, Anka Lee / Hong (2009-04-17). "Hong Kong Dissidents Get Organized As Tiananmen Anniversary Draws Near". TIME. Retrieved 2024-10-19.