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{{Short description|Chinese politician (born 1938)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{family name hatnote|[[Jia (surname)|Jia]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jia Chunwang
| native_name = {{nobold|贾春旺}}
| native_name_lang = zh-Hans
| office = [[Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate]]
| premier =
| term_start = 7 March 2003
| term_end = 5 March 2008
| predecessor = [[Han Zhubin]]
| successor = [[Cao Jianming]]
| office1 = [[Minister of Public Security (China)|Minister of Public Security]]
| premier1 = [[Zhu Rongji]]
| term_start1 = 19 March 1998
| term_end1 = 28 December 2002
| predecessor1 = [[Tao Siju]]
| successor1 = [[Zhou Yongkang]]
| office2 = [[Minister of State Security (China)|Minister of State Security]]
| premier2 = [[Li Peng]]
| term_start2 = 1 September 1985
| term_end2 = 1 March 1998
| predecessor2 = [[Ling Yun (politician)|Ling Yun]]
| successor2 = [[Xu Yongyue]]
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1938|5}}
| birth_place = [[Beijing]], [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = [[Chinese Communist Party]]
| alma_mater = [[Tsinghua University]]
| education = [[Beijing No. 8 High School]]
| image = File:Jia Chunwang extracted profile 1992.jpg
| caption = Jia at a meeting with Italian president<br>[[Oscar Luigi Scalfaro]] in 1992
| spouse = Yu Jingzhi
}}

'''Jia Chunwang''' ({{zh|s=贾春旺|t=賈春旺|p=Jiǎ Chūnwàng}}; born May 1938) is a Chinese politician, intelligence officer, and prosecutor who held top positions in both the security apparatus and judiciary of the [[People's Republic of China]].<ref name="bio">[http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-03-06/134815090182.shtml Jia Chunwang Career], ''news.sina.com'', 6 March 2008</ref> He served as [[Minister of State Security (China)|Minister of State Security]] for 13 years (1985–1998), as [[Minister of Public Security (China)|Minister of Public Security]] (1998–2002) and finally as the [[procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate]] (2003–2008).

The longest-serving Minister of State Security to date, he is also regarded as the most influential, greatly expanding the size, budget and capabilities of the MSS during a pivotal time, which saw tactical collaboration with the American [[CIA|Central Intelligence Agency]] in arming, training and funding [[Soviet war in Afghanistan|Afghan guerrillas against the Soviets]], the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre]], the end of the [[Cold War]] and the subsequent establishment of good relations with [[Russia]], and the [[handover of Hong Kong]] from British to Chinese control.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Mattis |first=Peter L. |title=[[Chinese Communist Espionage: An Intelligence Primer]] |last2=Brazil |first2=Matthew J. |date=2019 |isbn=978-1-68247-304-7 |publication-place=Annapolis, Maryland |language=en-US |oclc=1117319580}}</ref><ref name="eftimiades">Nicholas Eftimiades, Chinese Intelligence Operations, pp. 17, 99–102, Naval Institute Press/Frank Cass, Annapolis/London, 1994)</ref>

==Biography==
Jia, a native of [[Beijing]], was born in May 1938 and studied at [[Tsinghua University]], graduating with a degree in [[nuclear physics]].<ref name="bio"/> He joined the [[Chinese Communist Party]] in 1962, and in 1964 he began teaching physics at Tsinghua University, while at the same time being active in the Communist Party branch within the university, called being a "double-load cadre".<ref name="bio"/><ref name=":0" /> In some foreign newspaper articles during the 1980s and 1990s, he was incorrectly referred to as an engineer; for example, in 1991 the ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' described him thus: "''the nation's spymaster, Jia Chunwang, who is Minister of State Security, is a 53-year-old English-speaking engineer''".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/18/world/beijing-journal-for-chinese-spies-the-enemies-are-everywhere.html Beijing Journal; For Chinese Spies, the Enemies Are Everywhere], Nicholas D. Kristof, [[The New York Times]], 18 October 1991</ref> This confusion derived from the fact that the Tsinghua faculty from which Jia graduated was called the "Department of Engineering Physics", although Jia actually completed the nuclear physics program.

In 1966, at the start of the [[Cultural Revolution]], he was attacked and beaten up by [[Red Guards]], dismissed from the university, and sent to work in rural farms.<ref name="bio"/> In 1972 he returned to Tsinghua and became a professor of physics, as well as secretary of the university's [[Communist Youth League of China|Communist Youth League]].<ref name=":0" /> In 1983 Jia was one of the young officials chosen for senior positions when Deng sidelined older cadre. His prospects improved when he became an acolyte of vice premier [[Qiao Shi]]. He steadily rose within the Communist Party and was eventually named Party Secretary of Beijing's [[Haidian District]]. In 1984, he became Secretary of the Beijing branch of the powerful [[Central Commission for Discipline Inspection]], the Party's internal watchdog.<ref name="bio"/>

In 1985, he was appointed [[Minister of State Security (China)|Minister of State Security]], thus overseeing China's most important intelligence and security agency, responsible for foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence and regime protection. He remained on this post for 13 years, until 1998, the longest tenure in the Ministry's history so far.<ref name="bio"/> In 1998, he was moved to the [[Minister of Public Security (China)|Ministry of Public Security]] (supervising regular police and security forces) where he remained until 2002, while also being named [[Political Commissar]] of the [[People's Armed Police]].<ref name="bio"/>

Finally, he served as deputy procurator–general (2002–2003) and procurator–general (2003–2008) of the [[Supreme People's Procuratorate]], thus being China's highest-ranked [[prosecutor]].<ref name="bio"/> In 2006, he was elected President of the [[International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities]].<ref name="bio"/>

Jia was described as low-key and self-effacing; his wife, Yu Jingzhi, is also a professor at Tsinghua University.<ref name="bio"/>

Jia Chunwang was a member of the [[13th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|13th]], [[14th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|14th]], [[15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|15th]], and [[16th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|16th]] [[CCP Central Committee|Communist Party Central Committees]], from 1987 to 2007.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

==Afghanistan==
As Minister of State Security, Jia Chunwang continued and expanded the close collaboration with the American [[CIA]] and with [[Pakistan]] in training [[Soviet war in Afghanistan|Afghan guerrillas against the Soviets]]. Beginning in February 1980, Chinese intelligence, led at the time by [[Luo Qingchang]], had started offering small arms and financial support to Afghan resistance groups. From 1980 to 1984 the cost of Chinese support totaled approximately $400 million.<ref name="eftimiades"/> When Jia Chunwang became head of the MSS, support expanded to include [[heavy machine gun]]s, [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]], [[recoilless rifle]]s, [[rocket launcher]]s and [[anti-aircraft artillery]]; the MSS, in collaboration with the [[People's Liberation Army General Staff Department|Intelligence Bureau of the PLA General Staff]], provided these weapons to a number of Afghan resistance groups established by the Chinese themselves, including "''Victory''", "''Guards''", "''Immortal Flame''" and "''Paikar''".<ref name="eftimiades"/> The Afghans were trained in two networks of secret military camps, both in [[Xinjiang]]; one network of camps was in the vicinity of [[Kashgar]], the other in the vicinity of [[Hotan County|Hotan]].<ref name="eftimiades"/> Hundreds of Chinese advisers also worked in Pakistani training camps, along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.<ref name="eftimiades"/>

==Tiananmen crackdown and expulsion of George Soros foundations==
As Minister of State Security, Jia Chunwang played a major role in expelling from China all foundations and organizations funded by, or collaborating with, Hungarian-American billionaire [[George Soros]]. Soros began working in China in spring 1986, by funding research for strengthening China's reform and opening up. Then, in October 1986, Soros collaborated with Li Xianglu of the "''Association of Young Chinese Economists''" to establish a [[Beijing]] office for his foundations, and [[Zhao Ziyang]] (then [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Premier]]) approved. Soon thereafter Soros sent a message that he was interested in establishing personal relations with senior Communist Party leaders to exchange views on problems of economic reform in China. By May 1989 Soros had spent millions of dollars in China, working in four areas: travel expenses for Chinese scholars to visit the [[United States]], the purchase of Western books on the [[social sciences]] for Chinese universities, establishment of political reform associations, and certain cultural activities.<ref name="tiananmen1">''The Tiananmen Papers'' Compiled by Zhang Liang, edited by Andrew J. Nathan and Perry Link, pp. 451-452, Abacus, 2002</ref>

Jia Chunwang and the MSS were closely watching the activities of Soros the whole time, and in fact, the head of the Beijing office that Soros established was actually an MSS agent posing as an economic reformer.<ref name="tiananmen1"/> On 23 May 1989 (just before the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests|1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown]]) all Soros-related foundations and organizations were forcibly dissolved and shut down, and Soros himself was warned that "''he was not welcome''" in China anymore.<ref name="tiananmen1"/> Soros was only allowed to visit China again 12 years later in 2001.<ref>Described in Chuck Sudetic, ''The Philanthropy of George Soros: Building Open Societies'', Public Affairs</ref>

Jia was also instrumental in the actual crackdown and military suppression of the Tiananmen protests. On 1 June 1989, three days before the massacre, an MSS report written mostly by Jia himself and titled "''On ideological and political infiltration into our country from the United States and other international political forces''", was delivered to every single member of the [[Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party|Politburo]], and to senior [[Eight Elders|Party elders]], including [[Deng Xiaoping]], [[Li Xiannian]] and [[Chen Yun]], advocating for immediate military action and placing responsibility for the protests and the turmoil on foreign, hostile Western forces:<ref name="tiananmen2">''The Tiananmen Papers'' Compiled by Zhang Liang, edited by Andrew J. Nathan and Perry Link, pp. 446-451 and 455-462, Abacus, 2002</ref>

{{quote|"The great socialist country of China has always been a major target for the peaceful evolution methods of the Western capitalist countries headed by the United States. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China and after the failure of U.S. armed intervention, each American administration has pursued the same goal of peaceful evolution and has done a great deal of mischief aimed at overthrowing the Communist Party and sabotaging the socialist system. [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] preached "peace diplomacy"; [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] promoted "democratic movements"; and [[George H. W. Bush|Bush]] emphasizes "human rights diplomacy". The phraseology may vary, but the essence remains the same: to cultivate so-called democratic forces within socialist countries and to stimulate and organize political opposition using catchwords like "democracy", "liberty", and "human rights". These people also try to win over or split off wavering elements within the Party in hopes of fomenting peaceful evolution inside the Party, thereby causing, or forcing, changes in the nature of political power in our Socialist State.

...

Every night for four weeks, a ranking official of the U.S. Embassy in China, who said that "the American government is extremely concerned about this significant movement", met with participants in the student movement. The Director of the Beijing office of the U.S.-based Committee on Scholarly Communication with the PRC invited students from [[Peking University]], [[Renmin University of China|People's University]], and the [[Beijing Foreign Studies University|Beijing Foreign Languages Institute]] to his residence many times for discussions, thereby exerting influence on them. American students studying at Peking University, People's University, Beijing Language Institute, and nine other universities went everywhere fanning the flames. American journalists in Beijing maintained close contact with the leaders of the [[Beijing Students' Autonomous Federation|AFS]]. Journalists from the [[Associated Press]] and [[Newsweek]] told [[Wu'erkaixi|Wuerkaixi]] and others that the United States would, if necessary, provide asylum for them or help them go to
the United States to study. And not only all this, they also tried to build counterrevolutionary armed forces in China. The China Study Group of the [[U.S. State Department]] submitted a report in May claiming that the democracy movement in China was part of the world democracy movement.

...

Many facts demonstrate that the international monopoly capitalists and hostile, reactionary foreign forces have not abandoned for a moment their intent to destroy us. It is now clear, that murderous intent has always lurked behind their protestations of peace and friendship. When the opportunity arises they will remove the [[façade]] and reveal their true colors. They have only one goal: to annihilate socialism.<ref name="tiananmen2">''The Tiananmen Papers'' Compiled by Zhang Liang, edited by Andrew J. Nathan and Perry Link, pp. 446-451 and 455-462, Abacus, 2002</ref>}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/jiachunwang.shtml
* http://english.people.com.cn/200303/16/eng20030316_113376.shtml

{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{succession box | before = [[Han Zhubin]] | title = [[Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate]] | years = 2003–2008| after= [[Cao Jianming]] }}
{{s-gov}}
{{succession box | before = [[Tao Siju]] | title = [[Minister of Public Security (China)|Minister of Public Security]] | years = 1998–2002 | after = [[Zhou Yongkang]] }}
{{succession box | before = [[Ling Yun (politician)|Ling Yun]] | title = [[Minister of State Security (China)|Minister of State Security]] | years = 1985–1998 | after = [[Xu Yongyue]] }}
{{s-end}}
{{Minister of Public Security of the People's Republic of China}}
{{Ministers of State Security of the People's Republic of China}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jia, Chunwang}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People's Republic of China politicians from Beijing]]
[[Category:Tsinghua University alumni]]
[[Category:Ministers of state security of the People's Republic of China]]
[[Category:Ministers of public security of the People's Republic of China]]
[[Category:Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate]]
[[Category:Standing members of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party]]
[[Category:Members of the 12th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party]]
[[Category:Members of the 13th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party]]
[[Category:Members of the 14th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party]]
[[Category:Members of the 15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party]]

Jia Chunwang - Revision history

imported>Ergysearntng at 11:59, 21 June 2025