Unity Party 統一黨 | |
|---|---|
| Directors | Zhang Binglin Cheng Dequan Zhang Jian Xiong Xiling |
| Founded | 2 March 1912 |
| Dissolved | 29 May 1913 |
| Merger of | Chinese Republican United Association Preliminary Constitutional Consortia |
| Merged into | Progressive Party |
| Ideology | Conservatism (Chinese) Statism Unitarism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
TheUnity Party (Chinese:統一黨) was a short-lived political party in the early of theRepublican period of China from 1912 to 1913.
The Unity Party was formed in Shanghai on 2 March 1912, as the merger ofZhang Binglin's Chinese Republican United Association (中華民國聯合會) andZhang Jian's Preliminary Constitutional Consortia (預備立憲公會), as well as former officials and local gentries.
As a formerTongmenghui member and leader of theGuangfuhui, Zhang Binglin set up the Chinese Republican United Association in early 1912 to participate in new Republican politics. Zhang Jian was a major figure of the Constitutional Movement in the late Qing period, he and Zhang Binglin wanted to form a grand coalition to counter the radicalTongmenghui in theNanjing Provisional Government.[1]
The Unity Party was formed with Zhang Binglin, Cheng Dequan, Zhang Jian, andXiong Xiling as heads. Other notable founding members included Tang Soqian,Tang Shaoyi andTang Hualong. The Unity Party also held many ministry offices in the provisional government, such as Zhang Jian as the Minister of Commerce, Cheng Dequan as the Minister of Internal Affairs, and Tang Soqian as the Minister of Communications. In late April 1912, the party moved its headquarters to Beijing with the provisional government.[2]
The Unity Party was one of the targets theYuan Shikai's government wanted to ally with. Besides funding the party, Zhang Binglin was invited as Yuan's adviser and Cheng Dequan was appointed asGovernor of Jiangsu when the Provisional Senate was opened. Unity Party's Wu Jinglian was also elected as the Speaker to replace Tongmenghui'sLin Sen.[3]
Under the guide of Yuan Shikai andLiang Qichao, the Unity Party,Democratic Party andRepublican Party merged into theProgressive Party on 29 May 1913. The Progressive Party became the flagship pro-Yuan party in theNational Assembly.
