Chow Ching-Wen

Chow Ching-Wen (Chinese: 周鲸文; pinyin: Zhōu Jīngwén； 1908–1985) was a Chinese human rights activist, author and editor. He held high-ranking positions in both the government and in the Chinese Communist Party but defected to Hong Kong in 1957. One of the founders of the China Democratic League, he is particularly known outside China known for his book Ten Years Of Storm The True Story Of The Communist Regime In China published in 1960.

Biography

He was born in Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China in 1908. Having had his secondary education, he went abroad to study first at Waseda University, Tokyo, and then the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. His research was carried out at the University of London, England with the focus on political science.

Chow began writing his first book The Theory of State at the British Museum in London, and had finished half the book when the Mukden Incident (or Manchurian Incident) took place in China on September 18, 1931. The Japanese invasion of China interrupted his research work, and brought him back from London to participate in the war of resistance against Japan.

Via Siberia, he first reached Harbin, in north east China, which had not yet been occupied by Japan. In order the arouse the patriotic feelings of people he started publishing an evening paper - Sheng Kwang Evening Post, and he made himself Editor in Chief. This was the first paper ever published in Manchuria that openly supported the war of resistance against Japan and thus won the sympathy of the people. It was so popular that their printing press failed to turn out enough to meet the daily demand.

Before the Japanese troops took over Harbin, the editorial opinion was so fiery that the Japanese military authorities forced Zhang Jinghui, Governor of the Special Area to ban its publication. Zhang Jinghui later became the Prime Minister of the Manchukuo in 1935. He was forewarned and escaped. On the eve of the loss of Harbin, he disguised himself and slipped out of Harbin and reached Tientsin and Beijing where the Generals and leaders such as Chang Hsueh-liang and Chang Tso-Hsiang gathered. He was the nephew of Chang Tso-hsiang, a top commander under Chang Tso-lin.

In 1933 when the Japanese troops marched into Jehol province, the Northeast Army decided to take a stand. In conformity with the instructions of the Nanking Government, the Northeast army and local militia were re-organized into two armies. General Chang Hsueh-liang commanded the first, and General Chang Tso-hsiang the second. Chow Ching-Wen joined the second army as Chief of Military Judicial department responsible for political training of the troops and mobilization of the masses. The Japanese troops gained the upper hand at the beginning of the battle and worsted them. Then Nanjing government wanted to seek compromise with the Japanese. General Chang Hsueh-liang was compelled to resign and to go abroad. Without any formal organization, Chow gathered some comrades to form the Northeast People's Self-Salvation Association with a weekly publication called Self Salvation in order to mobilize the masses against Japan. This was not in line with the Nanjing foreign policy. In less than half a year, some comrades were arrested and the paper was banned from circulation.

In 1935, he finished and published his book, The Theory of the State, which was started in London.

In 1936 General Chang Hsueh-liang appointed him as the acting President of Northeastern University (NEU) and concurrently Dean of the College of Laws. General Change Hsueh-liang at the time the Deputy Commander-in-chief of the Bandit Suppression Headquarters in Sian, and was also President of the Northeastern University. The Mukden Incident made it impossible for the University to function. The University moved to Beijing. The University Council, responsible for the general policy,comprised of members such as Dr. Hu Shih and Dr. Wang Shih-Chieh, the Minister of Education at the time.

The Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937. He went to Hong Kong and published bi-weekly Modern Critique. The theme was democracy and fighting until the defeat of Japan. Modern Critique closed when the Japanese troops occupied Hong Kong (1941-1945). From 1937 to 1941, he published the following:

1) The Leading Position of the Chinese Nation in all National Struggles 2) Studies on China's Constitutional Problems 3) Democratic Struggles 4) Manchuria - life line of China (in pamphlet form).

In 1941, the Alliance (which was then called Federation) of Chinese Democratic Parties and groups was brought into being in Hong Kong and issued a statement. Chow was one of the founders. The Alliance of Chinese Democratic Parties and groups was reorganized into China Democratic League in Chungking in 1944. Chow was the member of the Standing Committee of the League. When the headquarter of CDL in Shanghai was dissolved by the Nationalist government in 1947, the members of the Central Committee gathered themselves in Hong Kong. Chow helped to furthering the activities of the League in Hong Kong. In 1949, the headquarters transferred to Beijing. Chow also went North and assumed the following titles:

1) Chairman of the Financial Committee of the Central Committee 2) Deputy Secretary-General of the Central Committee

The first People's Political Consultative Conference sponsored by the Chinese Communist party was convened in 1949 in Beijing. He attended the conference as a representative of the League. He also attended the second People's Political Consultative Conference held in 1954 in Beijing. He was elected a member of the National committee of the second People's Political Consultative Conference.

The People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. He was invited to be a member of the Commission of Political and Legal Affairs, an affiliate of the Ministry of the Interior. The goal of the commission owas to give directions to internal affairs. The commission was abolished in 1954.

He defected to Hong Kong in 1958 during the Great Leap Forward and pursued a writing career. In late 1957 he decided to write a book entitled "Ten Years of Storm" which depicted his experience with the Communist government. The book was in Chinese, and later translated to English, Japanese and Korean. In the meantime, the Chinese Democratic League dismissed him in December 1957. The People's Political Consultative Conference met in March 1958 and stripped him of his membership.

He started to publish Modern Critique for the third time in Hong Kong in 1958. In 1960 he founded the Continental Research Institute which published the Peking Informers bi-weekly in English. The magazine / Peking Informers were subscribed by various universities, research institutes and political organizations and continued to be published until his death in 1985. He was invited to various countries such as United States and Japan to speak about his experience and analysis.