Hua Guofeng, << hwah gwoh fuhng >> (1921-2008), also spelled Hua Kuo-feng, was chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from 1976 to 1981. He also served as premier, China’s top government post, from 1976 to 1980. Under Hua, China continued an earlier trend of improving relations with the United States. In 1979, the two countries established diplomatic ties for the first time.
By 1980, Hua had lost most of his power to Deng Xiaoping, who had served as vice chairman and vice premier since 1977. Hua resigned as premier in September 1980. In June 1981, he resigned as Communist Party chairman and became a vice chairman of the Communist Party. In 1982, the post of vice chairman was abolished. Also in 1982, Hua was dropped from the party’s Politburo, China’s main policymaking body. He then remained only a member of the party’s Central Committee.
Hua was born in Shanxi (or Shansi) province. Little is known about his early life. In 1955, he became the Communist Party secretary in the district of Hunan province. From 1958 to 1966, Hua served as one of the vice governors of Hunan. He remained a Hunan official during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), a period in which radicals dominated the Communist Party and many moderate Chinese leaders were purged (removed from office). In 1975, he became a vice premier of the State Council, the government’s top administrative branch, and minister of public security. Hua died on Aug. 20, 2008.
See also China (History) ; Deng Xiaoping .
