Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Li, Rui, 1917-2019
- Abstract:
- The Li Rui ๆ้ papers (1938-2018) contain correspondence, diaries, other writings, printed matter and photographs relating to government policy in the People's Republic of China.
- Extent:
- 41 manuscript boxes, digital files (16.7 Linear Feet)
- Language:
- Chinese
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Li Rui ๆ้ papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Li Rui ๆ้ papers contain correspondence, diaries, other writings, printed matter, and photographs relating to government policy in the People's Republic of China.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Li Rui ๆ้ณ (1917-2019) was born in Beijing, China, in 1917. He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1937, when he was a mechanical engineering student at Wuhan University. Between 1937 and 1940, he held several positions in the CCP. On the last day of 1939, Li Rui arrived in Yan'an and later worked for the Liberation Daily. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, Li served as secretary for Gao Gang and Chen Yun. Between 1949 and 1952 he was appointed propaganda minister of the CCP Hunan Provincial Headquarters. He also served as Director of the Hydropower Engineering Bureau. In 1958, he became Mao Zedong's personal aide and was also the deputy minister of the Ministry of Water Conservancy and Electrical Power, the youngest deputy minister in the the People's Republic of China. One year later, Li was expelled from the inner circle after he severely criticized Mao's Great Leap Forward, a policy that resulted in widespread famine across the country. Between 1967 and 1975 he was imprisoned in Beijing. In 1979, Li was rehabilitated and allowed back into the party, where he served as Vice Minister of Water Conservancy and Electrical Power (1979-1982) and then Deputy Head of the Central Organization Department (1982-1984), one of the most powerful and secretive organs of the Communist Party responsible for controlling personnel assignments and keeping detailed data on potential future party leaders. In his later years, Li became a keen advocate for political reform and a strong critic of the party and its top leaders. He died on February 16, 2019, at the age of 101.
- Acquisition information:
- Materials were acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2019.
- Physical location:
- Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Boxes 25-40 closed; there is digitized content from this collection available. The remainder of the collection is open for research. Materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
- Terms of access:
-
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Li Rui ๆ้ papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Location of this collection:
-
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305-6003, US
- Contact:
- (650) 723-3563