Xiaokai Yang - Early Life

Early Life

Yang was born in China, the son of Chinese Communist Party officials. His parents' status meant that he initially had a privileged life, receiving an excellent education by Chinese standards at the time.

However, his life changed dramatically in the early days of the Cultural Revolution. Yang was a Red Guard in Hunan who was part of the Rebel faction Shengwulian. On behalf of the group, Yang wrote probably the most influential article of the Cultural Revolution. He published a political treatise entitled "Whither China?", which was highly critical of Mao Zedong's communist regime. Xiaokai contended that the essential conflict in China was between the new "red capitalist class", consisting of CCP cadres and their families, and the masses of the Chinese people. This was a shocking and daring deviation from the traditional Maoist view that conflict in China was essentially between Mao and his enemies. Xiaokai's essay was read by hundreds of thousands of Chinese during the Cultural Revolution. It could not be read openly, and was passed secretly between trusted friends, provoking lively debate across China. So great was his influence that members of the 1980s Democracy Movement in China labelled Xiaokai "the forerunner of the Thinking Generation". Mao personally denounced Xiaokai as a counter-revolutionary in 1969. Xiaokai was arrested and sent to prison for 10 years. At one point, Xiaokai learned that he was scheduled to be executed, though this never eventuated. Distraught by her son's treatment, Xiaokai's mother, Chen Su, committed suicide.

While in prison, Xiaokai managed to learn English and calculus. He learnt from and deeply admired a fellow prisoner who happened to be a mathematics professor and a devout Christian. In 2002, Xiaokai himself converted to the Anglican Church.

When he was released, Xiguang Yang (his original name from birth) changed his name to Xiaokai Yang (his childhood nickname), so that he could find a job. He gained admission to Hunan University and published two highly influential books on economics. He then studied at Princeton University, where he obtained a PhD in economics.