As Premier, Zhu faced political challenges that were, for him, a slightly bigger challenge than management of China’s complex economy. In 1999, an American bomber over Serbia fired five missiles into the Chinese embassy. A diplomatic uproar ensued, and Chinese took to the streets in protest. Zhu urged moderation, arguing that stability was more important… Read more »
Deng spent most of his career in the Communist military. While he never gained a reputation as a guerrilla hero, he built strong ties within the party’s military leadership. He commanded troops on the front lines of the Anti-Japanese war in the 1930s and 40s, and served as chief political officer in the Huai-Hai Campaign, which sealed… Read more »
Following the Hundred Day’s Reforms, peasants in the north of China increasingly began to follow a popular rising political, mystical and martial arts movement known as the Boxer Rebellion. The growing movement, disgruntled at the aftermath of the Sino-Japanese War and the unequal treaties, began to threaten foreigners in northern China. When foreign diplomats in… Read more »