Qian Xingwen
Qián Xìngwén | |
|---|---|
| 钱兴文 | |
 Qian Xingwen in 1984 | |
| Chairperson of the State Presidium of Xiaodong | |
| In office 17th January 1984 – 9th June 1988 | |
| Premier | Liao Congwu |
| Preceded by | Sun Yuting |
| Succeeded by | Li Jingyao |
| Premier of Xiaodong | |
| In office 24th April 1977 – 17th January 1984 | |
| President | Sun Yutin |
| Preceded by | Shao Yuzhang |
| Succeeded by | Liao Congwu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 14, 1932 Baiqiao, Huayuan Prefecture, Xiaodong |
| Died | September 6, 2007 (aged 75) Rongzhuo, Xiaodong |
| Political party | Righteous Harmony Association |
| Spouse | Peng Meiwei |
| Children | 4 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Xiaodong |
| Branch/service | Xiaodongese Army (1950-1977) |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
- This is a Xiaodongese name; the family name is Qian (钱).
Qian Xingwen (Xiaodongese: 钱兴文, Qián Xìngwén; born 14th May 1932-9th June 2007, aged 75) was a Xiaodongese military officer who served as State Chairman from 1984 to 1988 and Premier from 1977 to 1984.
Born in a peasant family in 1932, Qian joined the Xiaodongese Army in 1950 at the age of 17. He was soon aligned with the radical National Principlist faction in the army that opposed the governing Xiaodong Regeneration Society on the grounds of "bureaucratising the Corrective Revolution". Qian supported the 1970 Xiaodongese coup d'état that led to Sun Yuting's assumption of power, being appointed in charge of internal security.
In 1977 Qian's loyalty in the internal security portfolio led to Chairman Sun to appoint Qian as premier. As premier Qian was viewed as weak compared to Chairman Sun and mainly continued to expand the Shujichu and other security organs. Qian was seen as one of the key organisers of the 1977 Kuoqing massacre that led to 500,000 people were sent to re-education camps or sentenced to death by the regime whilst a further 800,000 were stripped of their jobs.
After Sun's assassination in January 1984 Qian as premier became State Chairman. Facing a situation of near economic collapse Qian allowed Premier Liao Congwu, vice-premier Li Jingyao and finance minister Mao Zhukang to spearhead the Economic Reorganising Programme, implementing shock therapy economics either corpratising or privatising public assets creating industrial conglomerates known as Caihongs, deregulating several industries and liberalising foreign trade. The shock therapy policies were controversial as they resulted in economic modernisation but also massive unemployment and a rise in poverty. Qian also undertook political reorganisation, restoring the "party state" by creating the Righteous Harmony Association.
In 1985 Premier Li met with Senrian prime minister Kiyosi Haruna in the first Nuclear Arms Limitation and Non-proliferation Talks. However shortly after the talks relations deteriorated due to Qian approving Operation Calm Waters, sinking Senrian ships with limpet mines, which led to the Senrian bombing of the mausoleum of Lu Keqian by Senria.
In 1988 the Yuxiang nuclear disaster led to a series of protests against the one-party state known as the Orchid Revolution. As a result of the protests Qian and Liao resigned with vice-premier Li and foreign minister Jiang Xingzhou taking their places. Qian subsequently went into retirement with his political influence being minimal. He died to obscurity in 2007.
Qian's legacy as State Chairman remains controversial in modern Xiaodong, particularly his role in the Kuoqing Massacre. His economic reforms also remain contested with supporters praising them for encouraging economic growth and development and detractors stating they led to social collapse. Critics also say Qian's foreign policy escalated tensions with Senria and led to an worsening of Xiaodongese-Senrian relations, although his supporters state that it Senrian prime minister Haruka Kiyosi who escalated such tensions.