Chen Yun

Chen Yun joined the Chinese Communist Party during the May Thirtieth Movement. He began his career as a labor organizer in Shanghai, rising through the ranks of the party's underground apparatus.

Chen Yun was appointed to lead economic recovery efforts after the disastrous Great Leap Forward. He implemented policies that reduced central planning, allowed private plots, and stabilized the economy, saving millions from famine.

Chen Yun was purged from his leadership positions during the Cultural Revolution, accused of being a capitalist roader. He was sent to work in a factory in Jiangxi, but survived the period without being killed.

Chen Yun supported Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms, advocating for a 'birdcage economy' that combined state planning with market mechanisms. He helped design the Special Economic Zones and agricultural decollectivization.

Chen Yun became Chairman of the Central Advisory Commission, a body of retired senior leaders. He used this position to influence economic policy, often cautioning against excessive market liberalization.