Remember history and remember your predecessors. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of China Today (formerly China Construction), we briefly recall the important contributions made by the founding predecessors to the establishment and development of the magazine and pay tribute to their entrepreneurial achievements.
Jin Zhonghua (1907-1968)
As one of the founders of China Construction, Jin Zhonghua is an old veteran of Chinese journalism and an expert on international issues, as well as a close friend and assistant of Soong Ching-ling. He was invited by Soong Ching Ling to join Chen Hansheng in founding this new Chinese foreign English publication, and was the first president of my journal.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Jin Zhonghua successively served as vice mayor of Shanghai, deputy director of the Cultural Department of the East China Military and Political Commission, vice chairman of the Committee for the Defense of World Peace for the Chinese and People, vice president of the All-China Journalists Association, president of News Daily and Wen Wei Po, and head of China News Service, and also served as the editor-in-chief of Shanghai News, the first English-language newspaper in New China.
▲Jin Zhonghua
August 30, 1951, is a day that deserves special memories for our magazine. On this day, Song Qingling presided over the important preparatory meeting for the launch of the journal in the conference room of the new site of the China Welfare Association at No. 157 Changshu Road in Shanghai. The specific arrangement was carefully arranged by Jin Zhonghua, invited well-known people from the society, foreign friends, etc., and agreed on the purpose, target audience and editorial policy of the new journal. A foreign publication of New China has since set sail.
The winter of 1951 was Kim Jong-hwa's busiest hour. In addition to the municipal leadership work in Shanghai, he devoted almost all his energy to the early publication of the inaugural issue of China Construction. From raising funds for new periodicals, registering and publishing procedures, to selecting paper and printing in the factory, he personally supervised everything. Finally getting the new issue on December 5, he immediately submitted it to Song Qingling. After reading it happily, Song Qingling replied to Jin Zhonghua on the 17th: "Please accept my deep gratitude, and I hope that the efforts we have made and will do in the future will make our magazine a powerful magazine that introduces China to the world and promotes peace."
Despite Jin Zhonghua's busy government affairs, since the official launch of China Construction in January 1952, Jin Zhonghua, as the director of the editorial board, has been very concerned about the development of the magazine and has given careful guidance. From time to time, he wrote important articles for magazines, which gradually grew into an influential comprehensive and multilingual publication in New China, which was welcomed by foreign readers. He has made great efforts and made important contributions to the spread of New China to the outside world and friendly exchanges with foreign countries.
In his later years, Song Qingling wrote "Remembering Jin Zhonghua - One of the Founders of Remembering Jin Zhonghua" with deep affection for his close friend<中国建设>, in which Song Qingling highly affirmed Jin Zhonghua's contribution and praised "he dedicated his life to the cause of progress".
Chen Hansheng (1897-2004)
In the early autumn of 1951, in a secluded place in Beijing's Zhongshan Park, two people sat on a bench, not admiring the autumn scenery, but concentrating on the English manuscript in their hands. The middle-aged scholar wearing deep glasses is Chen Hansheng, and his assistant next to him is a quiet lady. They are compiling the inaugural issue of China Construction. In his memoirs in his later years, Chen Hansheng said, "In 1951, when we were preparing for a new periodical, at the beginning, we didn't even have a place to do things, and the inaugural issue was drafted by Li Boti and me on a bench in a park in Beijing."
Chen Hansheng is a legendary revolutionary predecessor. A native of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, he studied at The University of Bermarna in the United States in his early years, and received a master's degree from the University of Chicago in the United States and a doctorate degree from the University of Berlin in Germany, and is proficient in various foreign languages such as English, German and Russian. In 1924, he accepted Cai Yuanpei's invitation to return to China and was hired as a professor in the History Department of Peking University, the youngest professor at Peking University at that time. In 1925, introduced by Li Dazhao, Chen Hansheng joined the Communist Party of China and threw himself into the revolutionary cause from then on.
Chen Hansheng and Song Qingling met in Moscow in the winter of 1927. At that time, Song Qingling's first visit to the Soviet Union and his arrival in Moscow, according to Chen Hansheng's recollection, "One day in the cold winter of this year, my friend Deng Yanda and I went to the Soviet Hotel near Red Square to visit Soong Ching-ling, which was the first time I met her. After that, the two began to contact and cooperate.
After the founding of New China, foreign language cadres were urgently needed in China. In 1950, Premier Zhou Enlai informed Chen Hansheng in the United States that he wanted him to return to China to work. He thus returned to Beijing on January 31, 1951. At that time, Premier Zhou was discussing with Soong Ching Ling to create a new foreign publication. One day at the end of March 1951, Song Qingling invited Chen Hansheng and his wife to their residence in Fangjian Lane, Beijing, to discuss the publication. What Chen Hansheng did not expect was that Premier Zhou also went that night. Chen Hansheng remembers that when they met this time, Premier Zhou told him about running a magazine. Chen Hansheng said that there must be a group of people, let Jin Zhonghua nod his head, and I can help. So Chen Hansheng went to Shanghai to find Jin Zhonghua and asked him to take the lead in running the journal, to be the director of the editorial board, and he to be the deputy director.
Between May and June 1951, Chen Hansheng wrote to Song Qingling three times to discuss the name of the new foreign journal, and finally Song Qingling chose the name of the journal China Reconstructs(Chinese translation of the title of "China Construction"). Chen Hansheng replied on June 18 that your suggestion that the magazine be named China Reconstructs is of great significance. It means that China is not only rebuilding domestically, but also helping the rest of the world to build. It is also used in honor of Sun Yat-sen, who ran a publication called "Construction" during his lifetime.
In August 1951, Song Qingling invited Jin Zhonghua, Chen Hansheng and relevant personnel to hold a preparatory meeting for the inauguration in Shanghai to agree on the editorial policy of the new journal. After intensive cooperation between Beijing and Shanghai, on December 5, 1951, the English edition of China Construction was published, which was initially bimonthly. Later, january 1952 was the official launch date of the magazine. When it was first published, there were only 6 staff members. The magazine was compiled in Beijing and published in Shanghai. In order to ensure the quality of the magazine, Chen Hansheng devoted himself to it, saying that he read almost every manuscript at the beginning. As deputy director of the editorial board, he was responsible for the english revision of the magazine and occasionally wrote international manuscripts until Tang Mingzhao took over in 1958.
▲ Chen Hansheng and Qiu Jasmine Research Journal
Chen Hansheng has served as an adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, vice president of the Chinese-People Diplomacy Association, deputy director of the Institute of International Relations, and member of the Social Sciences Department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is also a deputy to the First, Second and Third National People's Congress and a member of the Fifth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The legendary man, who spanned three centuries, passed away on March 13, 2004, at the age of 108. As an expert and scholar on international issues, Chen Hansheng left many monographs, such as "American Monopoly Capital", "Indian Mughal Dynasty", "Chinese Peasants" and "Chen Hansheng's Collected Writings".
Tang Mingzhao (1910-1998)
Tang Mingzhao is also a revolutionary predecessor and senior expert on international issues, who has been engaged in international exchanges and contacts at home and abroad for many years, is a deputy to the First, Second and Third National People's Congress, and a member of the Sixth and Seventh National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
In 1958, in order to strengthen the leadership of "China Construction", with the consent of Premier Zhou Enlai and Song Qingling, Liao Chengzhi, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the State Council, appointed Tang Mingzhao as the editor-in-chief of the magazine.
▲ Family life photos of Tang Mingzhao and his wife and their eldest daughter Tang Wensheng and second daughter Tang Jiansheng
Despite his busy work in foreign affairs, Tang Mingzhao was still very concerned about the work of the magazine. He personally presided over the convening of the editorial board of well-known people outside the company to study important matters of the magazine. When he came to the magazine, he mostly carried a heavy briefcase to the office of the deputy editor-in-chief on the fourth floor or to study the work in the conference room, and hurried around. He pays close attention to international public opinion and writes highly targeted articles from time to time.
On January 6, 1960, Song Qingling wrote to Tang Mingzhao, encouraging that the magazine had made progress, but hoped to continue to work hard. Song Qingling said: "I like the first issue of the magazine, it is very vivid and interesting from the beginning to the end, and the effect will be very good." I particularly liked the cover of this issue, and the layout of the magazine as a whole was an improvement over previous issues. There are, of course, important improvements in this regard, but in the case of this issue, it is well organized. ”
Just a few days after New Year's Day in 1962, the Beijing Million Zhuang Foreign Language Building was still full of festive atmosphere. At noon on January 6, Tang Mingzhao rushed to the "China Construction" magazine early in the morning to check the preparations for the celebration of the tenth anniversary of today's founding. In the afternoon, after meeting with Jin Zhonghua, director of the editorial board, he immediately went to the gate to greet the distinguished guests -- Premier Zhou, Song Qingling, Chen Yi, Deng Yingchao, Liao Chengzhi, etc., accompanied them to the fourth floor to visit the ten-year exhibition of the magazine's founding, cordially met with Chinese and foreign colleagues in the editorial department, and took a group photo to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of the journal. The celebration also invited well-known people from the socio-cultural community to visit the exhibition and enlist their support for the magazine. This is the biggest festival of the magazine, and it is also a major event that Tang Mingzhao has been running since he became editor-in-chief in 1958.
Tang Mingzhao presided over the work of China Construction magazine until 1966. In April 1972, Tang Mingzhao, who was recommended by the Chinese government and praised by the diplomatic circles as the "American General", was appointed deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, becoming the first deputy secretary-general of the New China in the United Nations, specifically responsible for the political affairs, decolonization and trusteeship of the United Nations. In the international community, he has made outstanding contributions by fully displaying his unique diplomatic talents. After leaving the United Nations in 1979 and returning to Beijing, he served as an adviser to the Central Liaison Department and vice president of the China Association for International Exchange, and continued to devote himself to friendly cooperation between China and the world until his retirement in 1994.
Lupin (1927-2015)
Lu Ping has served as deputy editor-in-chief of China Construction Magazine, secretary general, deputy director and director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, secretary general of the Basic Law Drafting Committee of the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, deputy director of the Preparatory Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, vice chairman of the China Welfare Association, and chairman of the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation.
▲ Lupin
As early as his studies at St. John's University in Shanghai, Lupin admired Soong Ching-ling's revolutionary spirit of not fearing violence and supporting the cause of progress. As a patriotic student, he actively participated in the struggle for democracy and hunger among progressive students, and in 1945 he joined the ccp underground organization and became an active member. Although his major in school is agricultural economics, he is very good at foreign languages.
In 1947, shortly after graduating from St. John's University in Shanghai, Lupin stepped into the door of the China Welfare Foundation (the predecessor of the China Welfare Association) and began international liaison work. After that, he participated in the founding of the magazine and became the youngest leading cadre in the company.
It is said that one day he was immersed in his office in front of a typewriter, carefully dealing with foreign letters. Suddenly, a cordial Shanghai voice came from behind him: Young man, your English is playing fast! He looked back sharply, and it turned out that It was Song Qingling standing behind him, and her kind voice quickly dissolved the strangeness into closeness. He immediately stood up and greeted Mrs. Sun in English. In the short English conversation, the young man's English proficiency and the neatness of his handling of letters left a deep impression on Song Qingling. After that, Lupin served as the head of the office of the China Welfare Association and participated in the preparation of "China Construction".
After about two years of working for the China Welfare Association, Lu Ping was transferred to Beijing to serve as the head of the magazine's office, and was later promoted to deputy editor-in-chief, the youngest of the three deputy editors-in-chief, in charge of the magazine's political ideology and administrative work, and also in charge of economic reporting. Lu Ping was Tang Mingzhao's right-hand man, presiding over the work of the whole society, and he was responsible for reporting to Song Qingling and Tang Mingzhao, and from time to time received letters and instructions from Song Qingling.
In 1978, at the age of 51, Lupin was transferred from China Construction magazine to work in the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, and never left until his retirement. Soon after, he served as secretary general of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and secretary general of the Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee. In 1990, as the director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Lupin participated in the work of the Chinese delegation in the Sino-British negotiations and made special contributions to Hong Kong's return to the motherland. LuPin is a member of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. After his retirement, he became the first vice chairman of the China Welfare Association in June 1999, and remained committed to Soong Ching Ling's cause. In his later years, he left a memoir dictating the return of Hong Kong.
Li Boti (1918-1996)
Mr. Li was Chen's assistant when he founded China Construction magazine and the journal's chief English-language editor. After returning to China in 1945, she successively served as a reporter for the Chongqing and Shanghai bureaus of Time magazine, and served as a reporter for the Tianjin branch of Xinhua News Agency after the founding of New China.
▲Group photo of editorial staff in the Beijing Courtyard (Li Boti in the front row, third from the left)
The young female journalist was also a revolutionary veteran. In 1937, she joined the revolutionary work in Nanjing, and in August 1938, she joined the Communist Party at Wuhan University, serving as the secretary of the women's branch of the underground party of the university.
In the summer of 1951, when Chen Hansheng was preparing to set up a new magazine, she was the first person to look for, so he personally went to Tianjin to invite Li Boti to Beijing to participate in the preparation of "China Construction" magazine.
At that time, because there was no office space, Li Boti and a female information clerk often took the materials to Zhongshan Park to write articles, and many articles in the magazine's inaugural issue were written in this context. After its inception, Li Boti successively served as the head of the compilation team, the director of the editorial office, and in 1958, he became the deputy editor-in-chief. She is in charge of the English Department and political and social reporting. She attaches great importance to cultivating young editors and journalists, advocating more practice in driving ducks into the water, and taking reporters out to report from time to time. She has visited abroad several times. At the 1960 conference of the Communist and Workers' Parties in Moscow, she was selected by the Central Committee to serve as the head of the translation team of the Chinese delegation. In 1980, Li Boti participated in the creation of the English-language China Daily, served as deputy editor-in-chief, and was a member of the fifth and sixth national committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
(The author is Chen Rinong, former deputy editor-in-chief of China Today)
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