Cao Diqiu

Early Life and the Chongqing Period

Cao Diqiu was born on 1 August 1909 in Ziyang, Sichuan province, and joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1929. He worked underground in Nationalist-controlled areas before 1949 and later served as First Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee from 1952 to 1955.

Tenure as Mayor of Shanghai

Cao transferred to Shanghai in November 1955 as Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Deputy Mayor. In 1965, at age 56, he was elected Mayor of Shanghai, the city's third mayor after Chen Yi and Ke Qingshi.

Persecution during the January Storm

After the Cultural Revolution began in May 1966, Cao Diqiu came under escalating attack. On 6 January 1967, he was denounced alongside Chen Pixian at the mass rally that declared the Shanghai Municipal Committee and government overthrown. He was accused of being a "traitor," placed under detention for "investigation," and subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse. In May 1973 he was sent to a "May Seventh" cadre school for labor, continuing to resist the mistreatment directed against him by the group later known as the Gang of Four.

Death in Disgrace and Posthumous Rehabilitation

Cao Diqiu died on 29 March 1976, still under political condemnation and without having been cleared of the charges against him. On 23 June 1978, with the approval of the Party Central Committee, the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee held a formal ceremony to inter his ashes, fully rehabilitating him and restoring his reputation.