Ren Chonggao

Ren Chonggao (Chinese: 任崇高; November 1881 – January 4, 1974), courtesy name Yangzhi (Chinese: 仰之), was a Chinese educator, revolutionary activist, and politician from Luxian, Sichuan. Beginning his career in education, he later became involved in democratic and anti-war movements under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. During the Second Sino-Japanese War and the subsequent Chinese Civil War, he held administrative, educational, and political positions in Communist-controlled areas. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, he served in the governments of Nanjing and Jiangsu, and became a senior leader of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang in Jiangsu Province.^[1]

Ren was born in Luxian, Sichuan, in November 1881. He received a traditional education during childhood before continuing his studies at the Shanghai Teachers’ Training Society and the English correspondence program affiliated with the Commercial Press. Prior to the Xinhai Revolution, he joined the Tongmenghui and reportedly worked as a private secretary to Sun Yat-sen. During the period of the Northern Expedition and the First United Front, Ren became acquainted with Zhou Enlai and Zhang Wentian, and supported cooperation between progressive political forces and the Chinese Communist movement.^[2]

During the anti-Japanese resistance movement of the 1930s, Ren participated in patriotic and social mobilization activities. He served as an executive director of the Shanghai National Salvation Association and later worked as a general affairs officer in the Anhui Provincial General Mobilization Committee. Beginning in 1938, he served as secretary to the Fuyang administrative commissioner and took part in establishing anti-war educational institutions, where works such as On Protracted War were introduced into teaching.^[3]

In 1940, Ren moved to the anti-Japanese base areas along the Henan–Anhui–Jiangsu border region. He successively served as deputy director of the Huaishang Administrative Office, magistrate of Huaiyuan County, and principal of Huaibei Middle School. In 1945, he was selected as a representative of the Huaibei region to attend the National People's Congress preparatory gathering held in Yan'an.^[4]

During the Chinese Civil War, Ren held a number of positions in regional administration and political education, including member of the provisional administrative committee of the Suwan Border Region, administrative commissioner of the border government, commander of the Huanghe Cadre Corps, and president of the Yuwansu Nation-Building Institute.^[5]

Following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Ren became deputy director of the Cultural and Educational Committee of the Nanjing Military Control Commission and later served as director of the Nanjing branch of East China People's Revolutionary University. He subsequently held a series of provincial offices, including member of the Jiangsu People's Government Committee, deputy director of the Jiangsu Supervisory Commission, and deputy head of the provincial supervisory administration.^[6]

Ren joined the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang in 1954. In June of that year, he became convener of the preparatory committee for its Jiangsu provincial branch. In July 1958, he was elected chairman of the first Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the party and was re-elected to a second term in January 1962. He also served as vice chairman of the first, second, and third Jiangsu Provincial Committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, member of the central committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, and delegate to the third and fourth sessions of the National Committee of the CPPCC.^[7]

Ren died in Nanjing on January 4, 1974, at the age of 92.^[8]