Chan Bijun, Wang Jinwei and the Chinese Modern History

• Main Authors: Hsihsiung P. Zhao, 趙席敻
• Other Authors: Ko-wu Max Wang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/v79df2

博士 === 國立政治大學 === 歷史學系 === 106 === Abstract Chan Bijun and Wang Jingwei, this couple was very special one in the Chinese modern history. They made acquaintance of each other during the years of Sun Yat-sen’s anti-Manchu movement which was organized in the Chan’s home country, Penang Malayisa . She was fascinated by Wang’s speech in a meeting and fallen in love with him. She decided to follow him and adhered to the Chinese Alliance (Tongmenghui) installed in Japan. Being motivated, Bijun decided to join to Wang’s revolutionary action and to learn some more different skills. They went to Beijing to assassinate Qing’s prince regent, Zaifeng. This assassination attempt failed and Wang was sentenced to life imprisonment. After the Double Tenth Revolution 1911 succeeded, the Republic of China was founded. Wang was then released from the jail and married Bijun, with as much blessing as same for the new birth of the Republic China in 1912. After marriage, they went to France for studies. This simple and happy life was not long enough, the situation in China changed. Sun convened Wang to participate in the campaign for repelling Yuan’s government, which was later called as the Second Revolution, but failed. Since 1917, Dr. Sun re-called Wang to come back from France who re-engaged himself into the Chinese political activities and had never retreated from the political life until his death in Japan. Bijun decided to follow her husband again. In 1923, she went to overseas to raise donations from Overseas Chinese. She collected about three hundred thousand dollars which made possible the Kuomintang building its own army school in Huangpu. This contribution won her a reputation in favor of her access to one of the three appointed delegates in the first Kuomintang’s Congress. After the congress, she was one member in the Central Committee and Central Monitoring committee until her discharged from her membership of this political party, since she left Chongqing in order to support Wang’s “peaceful movement”. In her whole life, she was always by Wang’s side and executed the mission he confided. In Wang’s political carrier, she constantly occupied a special position: sometimes, she was an executive; sometimes Wang’s alter ego. The Anti-Japanese War exploded in 1937, Being in opposite line of Chiang’s government, Bijun and Wang pursued the “peaceful movement” with regard to Japan. They set up another Chinese government in Nanjing under the support of Japan. As the war ended eight years later, she was accused as renegade and received a life sentence in 1946. She passed away in the Shanghai Tilanqiao Prison in 1959. She never confessed due to her political option; moreover she openly defended for Wang’s cause as well as her political role in the administration of Guangdong. Her consistency differed from the one of her husband. Wang was constantly fickle in his political position between the left and the right. Once he was considered as the leader of the Left-wing in the Kuomintang. Then he opposed to Chiang’s policy in unifying the Chinese Communists against the Japanese invasion during the Sino-Japanese War. But Chan Bijun had only one option that was to follow her husband no matter his position. All she wished was to assist Wang in realizing his political ideal with which she identified. Wang was not only her husband, but also her revolutionary partner. Their marriage closely attached to their political carrier. Their tight union in every aspect was transformed into a symbiosis and constituted, in the modern Chinese history, a remarkable significance, but not less controversy, which was too difficult to be properly judged by historians. Keyword: Chan Bijun, Wang Jingwei, Anti-Manchuism revolution, Peace Movement, Betrayer, Chinese Modern Politics