Forum in Memory of Chinese Female Leader HeldA workshop was held Wednesday in Beijing in memory of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Shi Liang (1900- 1985), a well-known law expert, a leader of the China's women's movement and a co-founder of the China Democratic League.Some 200 people attended the forum, including Li Ruihuan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Political Bureau and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Wang Zhaoguo, a vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, and Ding Shisun, a vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, addressed the meeting. Shi was praised for her life-long pursuit of progress and truth. A native of Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, Shi graduated from the Shanghai Law and Politics University, in 1927. During her 20-year law career, she defended many Communists and other progressive- minded people arrested by the Kuomintang. After the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s, she took part in the resistance and national salvation movement. She was one of the seven champions of democracy jailed by the Kuomintang government in 1936 for demanding an end to the civil war waged by the Kuomintang against the Communists, the release of political prisoners and the establishment of a united front against Japanese aggression. She closely cooperated with the Communist Party in the struggle for democracy and peace and against the Kuomintang rule and imperialist influences in China. After the founding of the People's Republic, she was the first minister of justice and also once served as vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, member of the NPC Standing Committee and vice chairman of the All-China Women's Federation. She was also a member of the second, third, and fourth CPPCC National Committee, vice chairman of fifth CPPCC National Committee; Standing Committee member of the first, second, third and fourth NPC, vice chairman of the fifth and sixth NPC, vice chairman of the first, second and third Central Committee of the China Democratic League and chairman of the fourth and fifth Central Committee of the China Democratic League. She died on September 6, 1985. |
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