Zhang Jinghui

Zhang Jinghui; Simplified Chinese: or Wade-Giles: Chang Ching-hui, was a Chinese general and politician during the Warlord Era. He is noted for his role in the establishment the Japanese puppet regime of Manchukuo and served as its second and last Prime Minister.

Biography

Zhang was born in , southwest of Mukden, Liaoning Province. He joined the army at an early age and worked for Manchurian warlord Zhang Zuolin. He deserted Zhang Zuolin to join with Wu Peifu's Zhili clique. He later rejoined Zhang Zuolin and served as his Minister of War at Peking from May 1926 to June 1927. He then served as Minister of Enterprises from June 1927 to June 1928. Within the year he was appointed governor of the Harbin and China Eastern Railway Special District in northern Manchuria.

After the successful invasion of Manchuria by the Japanese Kwantung Army in 1931, Zhang called a conference in his office on 27 September 1931 to organize an "Emergency Committee of the Special District", with the goal of achieving the secession of Manchuria from China. Following the expulsion of Kuomintang General Ma Zhanshan from Qiqihar, Zhang proclaimed his territory to be self-governing, and was inaugurated as governor on 7 January 1932. Uncertain of the intentions of the Soviet Union to the north, and unable to withstand the presence to the south, Zhang reached an agreement with Japanese, and was appointed as governor of Heilongjiang Province in the new Japanese-run state of Manchukuo. However, his refusal to leave his stronghold in Harbin to take up residence in Qiqihar, created friction with the Kwangtung Army leadership.

However, when Ma Zhanshan agreed to terms with the Japanese on 14 February 1932 in exchange for the post of Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Zhang was set aside. Ma later revolted in April 1932 and Zhang took his place as Minister of Defense of Manchukuo.

On 21 May 1935, Zhang succeeded Zheng Xiaoxu as Prime Minister of Manchukuo at the instigation of the Kwantung Army over the objections of Emperor Puyi.

As Prime Minister of Manchukuo, Zhang preferred to take a passive figurehead role, allowing the Japanese advisors seconded from the Kwantung Army to handle all aspects of day-to-day administration, while he spent his days copying Buddhist sutras. Reviled by modern Chinese historians for his pro-Japanese stance, and nicknamed “the Tofu Prime Minister” even in his lifetime , Zhang was recorded to have only once spoken out against the Japanese administration – to criticize the forced sale of lands to Japanese colonists.

Zhang held the position of Prime Minister until the collapse of Manchukuo following the invasion of the Red Army in Operation August Storm in August 1945.

In 1943, a false report was published in Time Magazine stated that Zhang had poisoned his family and killed his Japanese advisor and other members of the Manchukuo government before committing suicide.

Following World War II Zhang was held in custody by the Soviet Union in Siberia and was extradited to the People's Republic of China in 1950, where he later died in captivity at the Fushun .