(1908.3.6-1997.11.9) Previously used name is Wu Shouquan. Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People's Republic of China (1950.12-1955.1)

Born in Wuhan, Hubei Province, Wu Xiuquan joined the Socialist Youth League in winter 1923. In 1925, he went to the Soviet Union and studied in Sun Yat-sen University and Infantry School in Moscow. Later he worked as an interpreter. In 1929, he was transferred to the Far East National Security Bureau of the Soviet Union in Khabarovsk. In 1930, he became a probationary member of the Communist Party (Bolshevik) of the Soviet Union. When he returned to China in 1931, he turned into a full member of the Communist Party of China and joined the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. He successively served as Staff Officer in the Headquarters of the Fujian-Guangdong-Jiangxi Military Area Command, Company Political Instructor of Ruijin Red Army School, Battalion Political Instructor, Regiment Chief of Military Education, Political Commissar of the Model Regiment of the Military Commission, Political Commissar of the Third Division Directly Affiliated to the Military Commission, and Commander of the Dingzhou-Liancheng Military Sub-area. In this period, he attended the operations of the 3rd and 4th anti-encirclement struggles. In 1933, he served as interpreter to Otto Braun, representative of the Communist International. In the course of the Long March, he successively served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Third Army Group, and Chief of the Operation Section of the Headquarters of the Shaanxi-Gansu Detachment. After entering North Shaanxi, he served as Chief of Staff of the 73rd Division of the 15th Army Group of the Red Army, Secretary General of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, and Chief of the Eighth Route Army's Representative Office in Lanzhou. In 1941, he returned to Yan'an to serve as Director General of the First Bureau, and Deputy Director General of the Operation Department of the Military Commission of the Central Committee of the CPC. During the period of the War of Liberation, he was member of the Northeast China Bureau of the Central Committee of CPC, Chief of Staff of the Headquarters of the North East Military Area Command, and Chief of Staff of the Democratic Amalgamated Army in Northeast China. Later, he participated in the negotiations with the representatives of the US and Kuomintang armies in the capacity of head of the Shenyang 27th Executive Group of the Executive Department of Military Coordination and Management. In 1947, he served as Chief of Staff of the Northeast China Military Area Command, and Political Commissar of the Department of Military Industry and Commander of Shenyang Garrison Command concurrently. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as Director General of the Department of Affairs of the Soviet Union and East Europe (1949-1950). In January 1950, he followed Zhou Enlai in the latter's visit to Moscow for the negotiation on the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance. In November 1950, in the capacity of special envoy of the Chinese government, he attended the UN Security Council meeting and delivered a speech condemning the US for armed invasion in Taiwan, the territory of China. In February 1952, he joined the Chinese government delegation to Ulan Bator headed by Nie Rongzhen, then the Acting Chief of General Staff, to attend the funeral of Choibalsan, leader of the Mongolian people. In March 1953, as member of the Chinese delegation, he followed Zhou Enlai in the latter's visit to Moscow to offer condolence on the decease of Stalin. From 1955 to 1958, he was the first Ambassador of China to Yugoslavia. Thereafter, he assumed the office of Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. During his tenure, on many occasions, in the capacity of head of the CPC delegation, he attended representative assemblies of the Communist Parties of the Soviet Union, East European countries, and other countries, and many bilateral talks between China and these countries. In the capacity of observer, he attended the Representative Assembly of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia and the conference of the Warsaw Treaty Political Consultative Committee. In 1975, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of PLA of China. Among other positions, he served as Chairman of Beijing Institute for International Strategic Studies, President of the PLA Institute for Strategic Studies, Chairman of Sino-Soviet Friendship Association, and Executive Vice Chairman of Overseas Returned Scholars Association. He was member of the Central Committee of the CPC, Member of the Standing Committee of Central Advisory Commission, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. His major works include "My Journey of Life" (wode licheng), "Reminiscences" (wangshi cangsang), "Memoirs" (huiyi yu huainian), and "Eight Years in Ministry of Foreign Affairs" (Zai Waijiaobu Banian de Jingli).