Chen Jiongming
Chen Jiongming | |||||||||||||||||
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| 陳炯明 | |||||||||||||||||
Chen c. 1920 | |||||||||||||||||
| Civil Governor of Guangdong | |||||||||||||||||
| In office 2 November 1920 – 21 April 1922 | |||||||||||||||||
| Administrator of the Constitution Protection Region of Southern Fujian | |||||||||||||||||
| In office 31 August 1918 – 12 August 1920 | |||||||||||||||||
| Acting Military Governor of Guangdong | |||||||||||||||||
| In office December 1911 – April 1912 | |||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Guangdong Provincial Assembly | |||||||||||||||||
| In office 14 October 1909 – 9 November 1911 | |||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Huizhou | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 January 1878 Haifeng, Guangdong, Qing Dynasty | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 22 September 1933 (aged 55) British Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||||
| Political party | China Zhi Gong Party (1925–1933) | ||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | Tongmenghui (c. 1906–1909 – 1914) | ||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 陳炯明 | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陈炯明 | ||||||||||||||||
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Chen Jiongming (Chinese: 陳炯明; pinyin: Chén Jiǒngmíng; Wade–Giles: Ch'en Chiung-ming; 18 January 1878 – 22 September 1933) was a Chinese statesman, military leader, revolutionary, and a key figure in the federalist movement during the early Republican period of China. He served as the civil governor of Guangdong province from 1920 to 1922 and commander-in-chief of the Guangdong Army. Chen's advocacy for a federal system and peaceful unification put him at odds with Sun Yat-sen, leading to his eventual political marginalization.
Born in Haifeng, Guangdong, Chen initially pursued a classical education before studying law and politics in Canton, where he became involved in revolutionary activities against the Qing dynasty. He played a significant role in the Xinhai Revolution in Guangdong and held various administrative and military positions in the nascent republic. Chen's political career was characterized by a commitment to social reform and local self-government. As civil governor of Guangdong from 1920 to 1922, and previously as administrator in southern Fujian, he initiated wide-ranging reforms aimed at modernizing education, developing infrastructure, and promoting democratic institutions. His vision was to establish Guangdong as a model province for a future federated China.
However, Chen's advocacy for a federal system and peaceful unification brought him into direct conflict with Sun Yat-sen, who favored a centralized state unified by military force. This ideological divergence culminated in the 16 June Incident of 1922, leading to a permanent break between the two leaders. Subsequently, Chen was often vilified in mainstream Chinese historiography. Defeated by forces loyal to Sun and later the Kuomintang (KMT), Chen spent his later years in Hong Kong, where he founded the China Zhi Gong Party and continued to advocate for federalism until his death in 1933. While his historical portrayal remains contested, some contemporary and later accounts recognize him as a dedicated patriot and a proponent of a democratic, federal China.