Zhang Chong (Chinese:张冲; February 26, 1900 – October 30, 1980) was a Chinese military and political leader. Initially a fearedbandit chieftain andwarlord ofYunnan, he distinguished himself as commander of the50th Army during theSino-Japanese War,[1] then joinedMao Zedong and theChinese Communist Party during theChinese Civil War and went on to hold important positions in the newPeople's Republic of China, culminating in his service asVice Chairman of theChinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[2][3]
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Born inLuxi,Yunnan, Zhang Chong became abandit in his teenage years, taking advantage of the chaoticWarlord era to become a feared and powerful figure inSouthwest China through plunder, kidnapping and extortion. In 1926, Zhang was recruited by the warlordLong Yun, and his private bandit force was reorganized into the Fifth Division of theYunnan Army. In 1935, when theLong March passed through Yunnan, Zhang Chong advised Long Yun to offer only token resistance, arguing that theChinese Communist Party (CCP) wasChiang Kai-shek's problem, and that there was no need to waste resources fighting them, and his proposal was adopted.[citation needed]
After the outbreak of theSecond Sino-Japanese War, Zhang Chong's troops were reorganized into the 184th Division of the 60th Army of theNational Revolutionary Army. In 1942, when the Japanese invaded Yunnan fromBurma, Zhang Chong was appointed the commander of the Yunnan Second Route Army, stationed in southern Yunnan. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Zhang Chong was dismissed from the army. In October 1945, Long Yun was relieved of military power in Yunnan by Chiang Kai-shek, and since then Zhang Chong was in secret contact with the CCP.[citation needed]
In 1946, Zhang Chong secretly flew toYan'an, supportedMao Zedong and, in February 1947, he officially joined the CCP.[citation needed]
During theLiaoshen campaign of theChinese Civil War, Zhang Chong wrote a letter to persuade his old subordinateZeng Zesheng to surrender, and made great contributions to the victory of the CCP in thesiege of Changchun.[citation needed]
After the founding of thePeople's Republic of China, Zhang Chong became Vice Chairman of the Yunnan Provincial People's Government, serving underLu Han, as well as a member of theSouthwest China Military and Political Committee.[citation needed]
In 1954, he moved toBeijing and was elected to theNational People's Congress, remaining a member until 1978, when he became aVice Chairman of theChinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[citation needed]
In October 1980, Zhang Chong died in Beijing at the age of 80.[citation needed]
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