# Chen Yizi

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Chinese scholar & economist (1940-2014)

In this [Chinese name](/source/Chinese_name), the [family name](/source/Chinese_surname) is *[Chen](/source/Chen_(surname))*.

Chen Yizi

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**Chen Yizi** (Chinese: 陈一谘; July 20, 1940 – April 14, 2014) was a Chinese [neoauthoritarian](/source/Neoauthoritarian)[1][2][3] scholar and economist who served as the director of China's Institute for Economic Structural Reform (中国经济体制改革研究所).[4][5][6] Chen was a top adviser to [Zhao Ziyang](/source/Zhao_Ziyang), [General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party](/source/General_Secretary_of_the_Chinese_Communist_Party) between 1987 and 1989, as well as to the Chinese government.[4][5][6]

In the 1980s, Chen Yizi was an important policy adviser for the [reform and opening up](/source/Reform_and_opening_up) in mainland China, but was exiled to the [United States](/source/United_States) after defending students' protests in the [Tiananmen Square Massacre](/source/Tiananmen_Square_Massacre) in 1989.[4][5][6][7] He was the most senior Chinese official known to have escaped China after the Massacre.[5][8] He later established and served as the president of the Center for Modern China in [Princeton, New Jersey](/source/Princeton%2C_New_Jersey).[9][10]

## Biography

### Early life

Chen Yizi was born in [Chengdu, Sichuan](/source/Chengdu%2C_Sichuan) on July 20, 1940.[7] As a son of a [hydro-engineer](/source/Hydro-engineer), he attended [Peking University](/source/Peking_University) where he studied physics and Chinese.[4][5][6][7]

In 1965, he was labelled as a "[counterrevolutionary](/source/Counter-revolutionary)" for submitting a long letter to [Mao Zedong](/source/Mao_Zedong), in which he criticized the lack of democracy of the [Chinese Communist Party](/source/Chinese_Communist_Party) (CCP) and made a number of suggestions to the CCP as well as the Chinese government.[4][6][7] Subsequently, Chen was persecuted during the [Chinese Cultural Revolution](/source/Chinese_Cultural_Revolution) (1966–1976), attending his [struggle sessions](/source/Struggle_session), and was sent to receive *[Laogai](/source/Laogai)* in the countryside of [Henan](/source/Henan) in 1969.[4][6][7]

### Top adviser for reforms

In 1979, Chen returned to Beijing at the beginning of China's [Reform and Opening](/source/Reform_and_Opening).[4][7] In the 1980s, Chen became the founder of several government [think tanks](/source/Think_tank), and served as the director of the Institute for Economic Structural Reform (中国经济体制改革研究所) and deputy director of the Institute for Political Structural Reform (中国政治体制改革研究会).[4][5][6][11] He was a senior adviser to CCP General Secretary [Zhao Ziyang](/source/Zhao_Ziyang) and played an important role in the reform and opening up.[4][5][6]

In particular, during this time, Chen concluded 43 million (to 46 million) died in the [Great Chinese Famine](/source/Great_Chinese_Famine) between 1958 and 1962, after conducting a county-by-county review of deaths in five provinces and performing extrapolation.[12][13][14] Chen was part of a large investigation group consisting of around 200 people from the Institute for Reforms, which visited every province in mainland China and examined internal documents and records of the Communist Party.[13]

In 1989, Chen supported the students' protest on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, seeking a peaceful solution to the crisis, but after the [Tiananmen Square Massacre](/source/Tiananmen_Square_Massacre) on June 4, 1989, he resigned from his posts and quit CCP.[5][6][7] Many of Zhao Ziyang's aides and advisers in government think tanks were soon purged and arrested, and Chen became one of the seven most-wanted dissidents in mainland China.[5][6][7] He first travelled to [Guangdong](/source/Guangdong), and then to [Hainan](/source/Hainan) before reaching [Hong Kong](/source/British_Hong_Kong).[5][7]

### Life in exile

See also: [Operation Yellow Bird](/source/Operation_Yellow_Bird)

In 2011, Chen was honored the "Distinguished Person for Advancing Democracy in China".

In 1989, as the most senior Chinese official known to have escaped from China, Chen first arrived in Hong Kong, then to [France](/source/France), and finally to the [United States](/source/United_States), where he later established the Center for Modern China in [Princeton, New Jersey](/source/Princeton%2C_New_Jersey) together with professor [Yu Ying-shih](/source/Yu_Ying-shih) from [Princeton University](/source/Princeton_University).[4][7][8] He also took part in the Princeton China Initiative (普林斯顿中国学社).[4]

In 2002, Chen was diagnosed with cancer.[6] In 2013, *Memoirs of Chen Yizi - China's Reform in the 1980s* was published in Hong Kong.[5][11][15] Chen died in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles) on April 14, 2014, at the age of 73.[4][5][16]

## See also

- [Chinese political reforms](/source/History_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China#Political_reforms)

- [Reform and opening up](/source/Reform_and_opening_up)

- [Great Chinese Famine](/source/Great_Chinese_Famine)

- [Great Leap Forward](/source/Great_Leap_Forward)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-l067_1-0)** ["卢毅：回顾一场几乎被遗忘的论争——"新权威主义"之争述评_改革大数据服务平台"](http://www.reformdata.org/2009/0504/23794.shtml). *中国改革开放全纪录（1978-2018）_中国改革开放数据库* (in Chinese). 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2026-02-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Sautman,_Barry_2-0)** [Sautman, Barry](/source/Barry_Sautman) (1992). "Sirens of the Strongman: Neo-Authoritarianism in Recent Chinese Political Theory". *[The China Quarterly](/source/The_China_Quarterly)*. **129** (129): 72–102. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1017/S0305741000041230](https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0305741000041230). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0305-7410](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0305-7410). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [654598](https://www.jstor.org/stable/654598). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [154374469](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:154374469).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Dongen, E. van (2 September 2009). ["Goodbye Radicalism! Conceptions of conservatism among Chinese intellectuals during the early 1990s"](https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/handle/1887/13949). *Scholarly Publications*. p. 77. Retrieved 13 February 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_4-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_4-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:0_4-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:0_4-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-:0_4-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-:0_4-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-:0_4-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-:0_4-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-:0_4-11) ["Chen Yizi, a Top Adviser Forced to Flee China, Dies at 73"](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/26/world/asia/chen-yizi-a-top-adviser-forced-to-flee-china-dies-at-73.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 2014-04-25. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20241202235611/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/26/world/asia/chen-yizi-a-top-adviser-forced-to-flee-china-dies-at-73.html) from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2025-01-03.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_5-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:1_5-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:1_5-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:1_5-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-:1_5-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-:1_5-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-:1_5-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-:1_5-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-:1_5-11) ["Dissident Chen Yizi, former aide to Zhao Ziyang, dies in Los Angeles"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140416101908/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1483346/dissident-chen-yizi-former-aide-zhao-ziyang-dies-los-angeles). *[South China Morning Post](/source/South_China_Morning_Post)*. 2014-04-15. Archived from [the original](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1483346/dissident-chen-yizi-former-aide-zhao-ziyang-dies-los-angeles) on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2025-01-03.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:2_6-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:2_6-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:2_6-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:2_6-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:2_6-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-:2_6-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-:2_6-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-:2_6-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-:2_6-10) ["赵紫阳智囊陈一谘病逝中国媒体不提六四"](https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2014/04/140416_china_chen_yizi) [Zhao Ziyang's adviser Chen Yizi passed away, but China's media avoided mentioning "June Fourth Incident"]. *[BBC](/source/BBC)* (in Chinese). 2014-04-16. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231008023424/https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2014/04/140416_china_chen_yizi) from the original on 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2025-01-03.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:3_7-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:3_7-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:3_7-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:3_7-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:3_7-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-:3_7-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-:3_7-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-:3_7-9) ["陳一諮"](https://8964museum.com/people/en/p-b06-007/). *8964 Museum* (in Chinese). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250103090917/https://8964museum.com/people/en/p-b06-007/) from the original on 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2025-01-03.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:5_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:5_8-1) Hoagland, Jim (1989-09-04). ["Exiled Chinese Reformer Urges Ouster of Hard-Liners"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-09-04-mn-1268-story.html). *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250103092123/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-09-04-mn-1268-story.html) from the original on 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2025-01-03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Chen, Yizi (1993-01-01). ["Problems of communism and changes in China"](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10670569308724166). *Journal of Contemporary China*. **2** (2): 82–86. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/10670569308724166](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F10670569308724166). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1067-0564](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1067-0564).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Chen Yizi, Chinese Communist Party Reformer"](https://www.hrw.org/legacy/campaigns/china-99/chenyizi.htm). *[Human Rights Watch](/source/Human_Rights_Watch)*. 1999. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240626042305/https://www.hrw.org/legacy/campaigns/china-99/chenyizi.htm) from the original on 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2025-01-03.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:4_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:4_11-1) Chen, Yizi (2014-03-16). [*陈一谘回忆录*](https://books.google.com/books?id=bI0oAwAAQBAJ) (in Chinese). China Independent Writers Publishing Inc.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Strauss, Valerie; Southerl, Daniel (July 17, 1994). ["HOW MANY DIED? NEW EVIDENCE SUGGESTS FAR HIGHER NUMBERS FOR THE VICTIMS OF MAO ZEDONG'S ERA"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190925173059/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1994/07/17/how-many-died-new-evidence-suggests-far-higher-numbers-for-the-victims-of-mao-zedongs-era/01044df5-03dd-49f4-a453-a033c5287bce/). *[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1994/07/17/how-many-died-new-evidence-suggests-far-higher-numbers-for-the-victims-of-mao-zedongs-era/01044df5-03dd-49f4-a453-a033c5287bce/) on 2019-09-25.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:6_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:6_13-1) [Yang, Jishen](/source/Yang_Jisheng_(journalist)) (2013-09-27). ["1958—1962中国的大饥荒"](http://unirule.cloud/index.php?c=article&id=2664) [The Great Chinese Famine between 1958—1962]. *[Unirule Institute of Economics](/source/Unirule_Institute_of_Economics)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220418042451/http://unirule.cloud/index.php?c=article&id=2664) from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2025-01-05.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Gráda, Cormac Ó (2013). Jisheng, Yang; Xun, Zhou (eds.). ["Great Leap, Great Famine: A Review Essay"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/41857599). *Population and Development Review*. **39** (2): 333–346. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1728-4457.2013.00595.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1728-4457.2013.00595.x). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0098-7921](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0098-7921). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [41857599](https://www.jstor.org/stable/41857599).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Memoirs of Chen Yizi : China's reform in the 1980s"](https://search.worldcat.org/title/Memoirs-of-Chen-Yizi-:-China's-reform-in-the-1980s/oclc/849860649). *[WorldCat](/source/WorldCat)*. Retrieved 2025-01-03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["Tiananmen exile dies as 25th anniversary nears"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10771709/Tiananmen-exile-dies-as-25th-anniversary-nears.html). *[The Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. 2014-04-17. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140418051922/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10771709/Tiananmen-exile-dies-as-25th-anniversary-nears.html) from the original on 2014-04-18. Retrieved 2025-01-03.

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