Diplomacy & Public Service
Landmark
Zhou Enlai
1898 – 1976
First premier of the People's Republic and its chief diplomat
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the China Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
The first premier of the People's Republic of China, who served from 1949 until his death in 1976 and shaped its foreign policy for a generation.
Zhou Enlai was a leader of the Communist movement from the 1920s. As premier and long-serving foreign minister he represented China at the Geneva Conference of 1954 and the Bandung Conference of 1955, and he helped bring about President Nixon's visit in 1972.
He was widely seen as a moderating influence during the Cultural Revolution, and his death in 1976 prompted large public demonstrations of mourning.
He was widely seen as a moderating influence during the Cultural Revolution, and his death in 1976 prompted large public demonstrations of mourning.
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