Soong Ching Ling

Song Qingling (formerly known as Rosamonde in English; January 27, 1893 - May 29, 1981), formerly known as Song Qinglin and Song Qinglin, was a 20th-century Chinese political figure and social activist, a state-level leader of the People's Republic of China, the widow of Sun Yat-sen, and a member of the Song family. Soong Ching Ling is the only woman and non-member of the Communist Party of China to perform the functions of the head of state of the People's Republic of China. She secretly joined the Communist International in the early days and later joined the Chinese Communist Party 15 days before her death. During the Northern Expedition, she adhered to Sun Yat-sen's legacy, defended the policy of "alliance with Russia and accommodated the Communist Party", and opposed the Kuomintang's "party purge" campaign. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Soong Ching Ling sent a call to support the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and showed herself to others as "unity and cooperation" with the Song sisters. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, she strived to achieve peaceful nation-building and opposed civil war. During the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, he broke with Chiang Kai-shek and the Song family and supported the Communist Party of China. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, she successively served as Vice Chairman of the Central People's Government, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Vice President of the State (exercising the powers of the President from 1968 to 1972), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (exercising the powers of the Head of State from 1976 to 1978), and other positions. She became the first female head of state in the history of the People's Republic of China and also ranked among the country's main leaders. Song Qingling actively participated in social welfare undertakings. During the Anti-Japanese War, she presided over the establishment of the China Welfare Association and raised funds for the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and the suffering people. After the founding of the Republic, she successively served as Chairman of the National Liberation Army, Honorary Chairman of the All-China Women's Federation, and Honorary Chairman of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang Revolutionary Committee. In 1951, she was elected as the chairman of the Chinese People's National Committee for the Defense of Children. The magazine "Children's Time" she founded was one of the earliest children's books in the People's Republic of China. In 1952, he initiated the "Asia and Pacific Regional Peace Conference" with Guo Moruo and others, and led the Chinese delegation to participate in the Asia-Pacific Regional Peace Conference held in Beijing, and was elected as the chairman of the Liaison Committee. In May 1981, she was awarded the title of "Honorary President of the People's Republic of China" by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. She is the only person to have received this honorary title so far. At the end of the same month, she died of illness in Beijing at the age of 88.