Tao Zhu

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Tao Zhu (Chinese: 陶铸; Pinyin: Táo Zhù; 1908-1969) is a Former Member of the 8th Communist Party of China Politburo Standing Committee.

[edit] Biography

He was Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee and Commander of the Guangzhou Military Region.

He later became First Secretary of the Central-South region, and in 1965 was moved to Beijing to replace Lu Dingyi as Director of the Central Propaganda Department. He was a Vice Premier of the State Council and Secretary of the Central Secretariat of the CCP, as well as an advisor to the Central Cultural Revolution Group.

In May 1966, Tao Zhu was promoted to No. 4 in the party, behind Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Lin Biao. That allowed his protege, Zhao Ziyang, to take over as head of Guangdong province. Tao and Zhao were among the most enthusiastic of the early pro-Red Guard CCP leaders, but quickly fell from power because they tried to control the excesses of the leftists. ^[1] Tao became a member of the Politburo Standing Committee at the Eleventh Plenum in August 1966, but was purged during the Cultural Revolution in early 1967 and died under house arrest in 1969.

He was posthumously exhonerated in 1978. He was remembered as a great man of integrity.

[edit] Family in politics

• Tao Siliang, daughter. Secretary, China Association of Mayors

Preceded by Ye Jianying	Governor of Guangdong 1953–1957	Succeeded by Chen Yu
Preceded by Ye Jianying	Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Committee 1955–1965	Succeeded by Zhao Ziyang
Preceded by '	Chairman of Guangdong CPPCC 1955–1960	Succeeded by Ou Mengjue