Chen Mingshan
Chen Mingshan was a Chinese social activist, industrial leader, and senior member of the China Democratic National Construction Association. He was widely regarded as a close associate of the Chinese Communist Party and served in numerous leadership roles within political consultative bodies, democratic parties, and industrial organizations at both the national and municipal levels, particularly in Shanghai.
Biography
Chen Mingshan was born on January 16, 1916, in Xiaoshan District, Zhejiang. He pursued technical education at the Lester [Institute of Technology, Shanghai], though he did not complete his degree. Beginning in the early 1930s, he entered the pharmaceutical trade as an apprentice at Nanyang Pharmacy and gradually rose to managerial positions, later serving as deputy manager of various pharmaceutical enterprises. By the 1940s, he had become deputy manager of Wanguo Pharmacy and subsequently director and general manager of Xinyi Pharmaceutical Factory, establishing himself as a prominent figure in Shanghai's pharmaceutical industry.After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chen was selected as a member of the preparatory committee of the All-China [Federation of Industry and Commerce] in Shanghai. From 1951 onward, he served consecutively as a standing committee member of the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce and, in 1952, became chairman and general manager of Xinyi Pharmaceutical Factory. Following the transition to public–private joint ownership, he was appointed factory director in 1954. In 1956, he led a delegation of young industrial and commercial representatives from Shanghai to attend a national conference on industrial development.
During the Cultural Revolution, Chen was politically persecuted, but he resumed public service in the late 1970s. He later held senior positions in economic and civic organizations, including executive director of patriotic construction enterprises and chairman of Aijian Group. He also served as vice chairman of the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce and held leadership roles within the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CDNCA, eventually becoming its chairman and later honorary chairman.
At the national level, Chen served as Vice Chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Democratic National Construction Association during its fourth, fifth, and sixth terms, and later as Honorary Vice Chairperson during its seventh and eighth terms. He was a member of the National Committee of the Chinese [People's Political Consultative Conference] from its fifth to eighth terms and served as a standing committee member during the sixth, seventh, and eighth terms. In addition, he was a deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and Vice Chairperson of the Shanghai [Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]. He was also a deputy to the National People's Congress during its third term.
Chen Mingshan died in Shanghai on July 19, 2003, at the age of 88.