Bernard Dowiyogo vs Yang Shangkun

Bernard Dowiyogo was first elected President of Nauru, beginning a political career that would see him serve seven non-consecutive terms. He succeeded Hammer DeRoburt.

Dowiyogo's government filed a case against Australia in the International Court of Justice regarding the rehabilitation of phosphate-mined lands. The case was settled out of court in 1993 with Australia agreeing to pay compensation.

Dowiyogo delivered a speech at the United Nations General Assembly highlighting the existential threat of climate change and sea-level rise to Nauru and other small island states. He called for international action.

Dowiyogo died of complications from diabetes while undergoing medical treatment in Washington, D.C. He was the first Nauruan president to die in office.

Yang Shangkun joined the Chinese Communist Party's Long March, serving as a political commissar. He survived the arduous retreat from Jiangxi to Yan'an, which solidified his position in the party hierarchy.

Yang Shangkun was appointed Mayor of Tianjin after the Communist takeover. He oversaw the city's transition to Communist rule, including the suppression of counter-revolutionaries and economic reconstruction.

Yang Shangkun was purged and imprisoned for 12 years during the Cultural Revolution, accused of being a counter-revolutionary. He was held in solitary confinement and subjected to harsh treatment.

Yang Shangkun was rehabilitated and elected President of the People's Republic of China, serving until 1993. He was a key figure in the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.

As President, Yang Shangkun was a member of the Standing Committee that authorized the use of military force to suppress the Tiananmen Square protests. The crackdown resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths.