Biographical Notes on Leading Figures during the Early Years of China Today Magazine

Jin Zhonghua (1907-1968), a native of Tongxiang, Zhejiang, was the first president of China Today and chief of its editorial committee. After graduating from Zhijiang University in Hangzhou, Jin embarked on his career at the Shanghai Commercial Press in 1928, where he worked as assistant editor on Woman Magazine . In 1936, he joined the Shanghai Literary and Cultural Circles' National Salvation Association, and founded, with other cultural personages, World Knowledge magazine, which highlighted international anti-Fascist movements. Jin Zhonghua, along with Zou Taofen and other cultural activists also published a number of newspapers, including Dazhong Shenghuo ( People's Lives) , Shenghuo Ribao ( Life Daily), Yong Sheng ( Eternal Life ) and Quanmin Kangzhan ( National Resistance against Japanese Invasion) . In August 1938 Jin went to Hong Kong, where he worked as editor-in-chief of the Singtao Daily and became a member of the central committee of the China Defense League. In March 1941, he and Zou Taofen edited, published and distributed the League's Chinese edition Newsletter. He was also actively involved in the Hua Shang Bao , another of the China Defense League's publications. Jin moved with the League to Chongqing in 1942. During the Liberation War, he was actively involved in the work of the China Welfare Foundation (successor to the China Defense League) in Shanghai. Upon the founding of New China, he served as vice mayor of Shanghai and vice chairman of the All-China Journalists Association. In 1950, he became a member of the executive committee of the China Welfare Institute and, at the invitation of Soong Ching Ling, joined Chen Hansheng in establishing China Reconstructs (predecessor to China Today) . During the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976) he was framed and persecuted by Lin Biao and Jiang Qing's Red Guards, and died a grievous death on April 3, 1968. His case was posthumously redressed on August 12, 1978.

 

Chen Hansheng (1897-2004): Originally named Chen Shu, and a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu, Chen Hansheng was deputy chief of the first editorial committee of China Reconstructs . He received his master's degree from Chicago University, and later a doctorate degree from Berlin University. He was appointed history professor by Cai Yuanpei, President of Peking University, at the age of 27, and recommended by Li Dazhao in 1925 for membership in the Communist Party of China. In 1946, he went to the US to do publicity work opposing the US government's pro-Chiang Kai-shek, anti-CPC policy. At Soong Ching Ling's invitation, in 1951 Chen Hansheng joined in preparations for the establishment of China Reconstructs. As from 1951, he served as Ministry of Foreign Affairs advisor and concurrent vice chairman of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, vice president of the Research Institute of International Relations under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, academician at the Philosophical and Social Sciences Department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences advisor, and honorary president of the Research Institute of World History. Chen Hansheng was also editor-in-charge of Foreign History Series , History of Chinese Workers Abroad , and deputy chief of the Chinese Encyclopedia editorial committee; he was a deputy to the first, second and third National People's Congress and member of the fifth CPPCC National Committee. His publications include Monopoly Capitals in the US , India's Mughal Dynasty, Chinese Farmers and Selected Works of Chen Hansheng .

 

Tang Mingzhao (1910-1998): A native of Enping, Guangdong, Tang Mingzhao was editor-in-chief and deputy chief of the editorial committee of China Reconstructs . He was enrolled in the political studies department of Tsinghua University in 1930, and joined the CPC in December 1931, working as CPC Beiping Xijiao District committee member and CPC Beiping committee organization department chief. Tang Mingzhao studied modern western history at the University of California in 1933, where he became a member of the Communist Party of the USA and served as chief of its California University branch organization and publicity departments and later secretary of the branch. He was appointed secretary of the CPUSA China Bureau in October 1939 and held this position for 10 years. Ting Mingzhao founded and worked as president and editor-in-chief of the China Daily News in 1940. In 1941, he worked as an interpreter for the New York News Department. As from 1950, he worked successively as a Foreign Ministry commissioner, bureau chief and deputy secretary-general of the CPC International Liaison Department. In 1958, he began working concurrently in these positions and as editor-in-chief of China Reconstructs . Tang Mingzhao was appointed vice secretary-general of the United Nations in April 1972. After returning to China in 1979, he worked as CPC International Liaison Department advisor and vice president of the China International Exchanges Association. Tang Mingzhao was deputy to the first, second and the third National People's Congress, and a member of the sixth and seventh CPPCC National Committee. He retired in 1994.

 

Lu Ping (1927-): A native of Langzhong, Sichuan Province, Lu Ping is vice chairman of the China Welfare Institute. He previously worked as deputy editor-in-chief of China Reconstructs and chief of the State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. Lu Ping graduated from Shanghai St. John's College in 1947, where he had been students' movement activist, and joined the CPC in 1945. He began working for the China Welfare Institute in 1949, initially as head of the translators group and subsequently as head of the personnel department. He became office chief of China Reconstructs in 1953, was made chief of the editorial department in 1962 and was later appointed deputy editor-in-chief. Lu Ping began working for the State Council in 1978, and held successive positions as head of the comprehensive group, and secretary general and deputy chief of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. He also worked as deputy secretary general of the PRC Hong Kong SAR Basic Law Drafting Committee, secretary general of the PRC Macao SAR Basic Law Drafting Committee, concurrent deputy chief and secretary general of the HKSAR Preparation Committee working group, and deputy chief and secretary general of the HKSAR Preparation Committee. In 1990, Lu Ping was made chief of the State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and became vice chairman of the China Welfare Institute in June 1998. Lu Ping was a member of the 14th CPC Central Committee, and a delegate to the 15th CPC National Congress.

 

Israel Epstein (1915-2005): Vice Chairman of the China Welfare Institute, editor-in-chief emeritus of China Today, Israel Epstein was born in Poland in 1915, and came with his parents to live in China in 1917. He began his career as a journalist after graduating from middle school, successively working for the Russian language newspaper Ultro (Morning) and the Peking and Tientsin Times . He met and became a close friend of Edgar Snow in 1933, and the same year began writing for Democracy and Voice . He became a correspondent for the United Press in 1937, and in 1938 was made head of the United Press Guangzhou branch. It was in September that year that Israel Epstein met and became a friend of Soong Ching Ling, and at her invitation joined in the work of the China Defense League Guangzhou Branch. In October 1938, he went to Hong Kong as a member of China Defense League Central Committee, and worked as editor of its Newsletter . He was in Chongqing from May 1942 to December 1944, where he continued his work for the League. Israel Epstein was part of the Chinese and foreign reporters' delegation to Yan'an, where he met Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai and other CPC leaders, from May to October 1944. His reports were published in the New York Times and other similarly prestigious journals. In 1945 Israel Epstein went to the United States, where he continued his work for China by protesting against the American government's interference in China's internal affairs. Upon the invitation of Soong Ching Ling, he and his then-wife Elsie Fairfax-Cholmeley returned to China in the spring of 1951 to work for China Reconstructs. He held the successive positions of executive editor, editor-in-chief and editor-in-chief emeritus of China Reconstructs/China Today , was a member and vice chairman of the China Welfare Institute Executive Committee, and also vice chairman of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, the International Committee of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives Movement and the China Society of People's Friendship Studies. He took Chinese citizenship in 1957 and joined the CPC in 1964. As from 1983, he served as CPPCC member and was later on its Standing Committee. In 1994, he won the 7 th Soong Ching Ling Camphor Tree Award. Among his published books are: Unfinished Revolution in China ; The People's War, From Opium War to Liberation ; Tibet Transformed ; Selected Reportage on China ; My China Eye ; and Woman in World History—Soong Ching Ling (winner of the First National Excellent Book Award in 1992).

Li Boti (1918-1996): A native of Anqing, Anhui Province, Li Boti was deputy editor-in-chief of China Reconstructs . She participated in revolutionary work in Nanjing in 1937 and joined the CPC Wuhan University Underground Committee in August 1938, where she worked as secretary of its women's branch. In 1945, Li Boti worked as a correspondent for the US Time magazine at its Chongqing and Shanghai branches and, after the founding of New China, worked for the Xinhua News Agency Tianjin Branch. She joined in preparations to establish China Reconstructs magazine in 1951, working successively as head of the editorial and translation group, editorial department chief and deputy editor-in-chief. She was head of the translation group in the CPC delegation to the Moscow Conference of International Communist and Workers' Parties in 1960. She was also one of the founders of the China Daily in 1980, and worked as its deputy editor-in-chief. Li Boti was a member of the fifth and sixth CPPCC National Committee.

 

Chen Linrui (1905-1969): A native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, Chen Linrui was originally deputy editor-in-chief of China Reconstructs . After graduating from Tsinghua University, he went to the US for further study. Upon his return to China in 1933, Chen Linrui successively worked as dean of the Shanghai Jinan University foreign languages department and as professor of Guanghua University and the Aurora College for Women. He began working for the Xinhua News Agency Shanghai branch as its English Department chief and was made Shanghai News editorial department chief in December 1949. He was transferred to the China Welfare Institute in 1953 to work as editorial department chief of China Reconstructs magazine. Chen Linrui joined the China Association for Promoting Democracy in 1954. He became a member of the China Reconstructs editorial committee in 1957 and was made its deputy editor-in-chief in 1961. Among his publications are: Forms and Modes of Chinese Opera, Playwright Guan Hanqing , Peking Opera Artist Zhou Xinfang, and Peking Opera . Chen Linrui was unjustly persecuted during the "cultural revolution" and died grievously in 1969. His case was posthumously redressed after the downfall of the Gang of Four.