Profession: Paramount Leader of China
Biography: Chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1976 to 1981 and Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1976 to 1980 Hua Guofeng was Mao Zedong's designated successor.
Hua brought the Cultural Revolution to an end and ousted the Gang of Four from political power by arranging for their arrests in Beijing.
He attempted moderate reforms and reversing some of the excesses of Cultural Revolution. His insistence on continuing the Maoist line saw him outmaneuvered in December 1978 by Deng Xiaoping, a more pragmatic reformer, who forced Hua into early retirement.
As Hua faded into political obscurity, he continued to insist on the correctness of Maoist principles. He is remembered today as a largely benign transitional figure in modern Chinese political history.
Born: February 16, 1921
Birthplace: Jiaocheng County, Shanxi, China
Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Rooster
Star Sign: Aquarius
Historical Events
- 1976-02-04 Hua Guofeng becomes Premier of the People's Republic of China
- 1976-10-07 Hua Guofeng succeeds Mao as Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
- 1981-06-29 Hu Yaobang succeeds Hua Guofeng as Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
Chiang Kai-shek
Hu Jintao
Jiang Zemin
Mao Zedong
Xi Jinping
Zhao Ziyang