Chen Lifu | |
|---|---|
陳立夫 | |
 Chen Lifu as pictured inThe Most Recent Biographies of Chinese Dignitaries | |
| Minister ofEducation of theRepublic of China | |
| In office January 1938 – December 1944 | |
| Preceded by | Wang Shijie |
| Succeeded by | Zhu Jiahua |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 August 1900 |
| Died | 8 February 2001(2001-02-08) (aged 100) |
| Nationality | Republic of China |
| Political party | Kuomintang |
| Spouse | Sun Lu-ching |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Chen Qiye (father) Chen Qimei (uncle) Chen Qicai (uncle) Chen Guofu (brother) Chen Tsu-li (half brother) |
| Education | Beiyang University (BS) University of Pittsburgh (MS) |
Chen Lifu (traditional Chinese:陳立夫;simplified Chinese:陈立夫;pinyin:Chén lì-fū;Wade–Giles:Ch'en Li-fu; 21 August 1900 – 8 February 2001) was a politician in theRepublic of China. He was a close advisor ofChiang Kai-shek. With his brotherChen Guofu, he led theCC Clique within theKuomintang.
Chen was born in modernWuxing District,Huzhou,Zhejiang in 1900. His father,Chen Qiye and his uncles,Chen Qimei andChen Qicai were all anti-Qing revolutionaries and later Kuomintang members. In 1925, he formally joined theKuomintang (KMT) inSan Francisco after receiving his master's degree in mining engineering from theUniversity of Pittsburgh.[1] On 9 January 1926,Chiang Kai-shek hired Chen as his confidential secretary.[2] In 1927, Chiang appointed Chen to head the Investigation Section of the Organization Department of the KMT[3] Chen and elder brotherChen Guofu became heads of the Kuomintang's secret service, leading a political faction known as theCC Clique.[4]
In late 1935, China faced the looming threat of war with Japan, and Chiang decided to send Chen to the Soviet Union to negotiate a treaty of mutual military assistance. However, Chen flew to Berlin in disguise, and while preparing to go on to Moscow, preliminary negotiations broke down and he was recalled.[5] In the fall of 1936, Chen was Chiang's representative at a series of secret meetings withChinese Communist Party representativePan Hannian, where the two sides attempted to negotiate a united front against the Japanese.[6] This attempt failed, leading to theXi'an Incident.
In 1938, Chen was again promoted, becoming the minister of education. Chen held this position until 1944.[7] After the end of theSecond Sino-Japanese War, he became vice president of theLegislative Yuan.
Chen went to the United States to supportThomas E. Dewey's campaign in the1948 United States presidential election, a move that earned the Kuomintang the ire ofHarry S. Truman. With the Kuomintang defeat in the Chinese Civil War, Chen went to Taiwan. Under pressure fromChen Cheng and others, he resigned from politics and moved to the United States. He did not permanently return to Taiwan until 1968, 3 years after Chen Cheng's death.[8]
In Taiwan, Chen served as the vice chairman of theChinese Cultural Renaissance committee, the chairman of the Confucius-Mencius Society, and the chairman of theChina Medical University. He died in Taichung on 8 February 2001 at the age of 100.[8]
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