On November 18th, the daughter of senior Chinese Communist Party figure Luo Ruiqing, Luo Dian Dian (Luo Yuping), passed away due to illness at the age of 74. Luo Dian Dian, regarded as part of the “Second Red Generation,” was known for her progressive views. Former professor at the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China, Cai Xia, revealed that Luo Dian Dian had called for reflection on the calamity brought by the entry of the Communist Party into China in 1920 during gatherings of the Second Red Generation.
Luo Dian Dian, a graduate of the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, had worked at the outpatient department of the Health Bureau of the General Staff Department of the People’s Liberation Army.
As a close friend of Luo Dian Dian, Cai Xia posted on social media platform X on November 20th, expressing her deep sorrow at the news of Luo Dian Dian’s passing. She described Luo Dian Dian as a key figure among their group, known for her profound reflections on the Communist Party and “violent revolution.” Cai Xia recounted a conversation at a gathering where Luo Dian Dian startled everyone by stating, “We need to reflect back to 1920.”
Cai Xia elaborated that in 1920, Communist International personnel from the Leninist faction came to China to help establish the Chinese Communist Party, and the havoc caused by the communist revolution continues to afflict the Chinese people.
Not all members of the Second Red Generation within the Chinese Communist Party share the same beliefs. Cai Xia, herself a member of the Second Red Generation, disclosed in a 2020 interview with Voice of America that many from this group question the Communist Party’s system. During a Second Red Generation gathering, discussions arose about reflecting and questioning. Some suggested reflecting back to the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident, while others proposed revisiting the period after the 1978 reforms to evaluate their efficacy in resolving issues from the Mao era.
Additionally, some argued for starting the reflection from the “Ten Years of Chaos” in 1966, some from 1956, and others from 1949 to reconsider the Communist Party’s governance in China. Ultimately, one member insisted, “True reflection must begin from 1920—the birth of the Chinese Communist Party and the path the Chinese nation has traversed over the past century, with its historical logic and connections worth thorough contemplation.”
Cai Xia expressed her surprise at the depth of introspection within the Second Red Generation, surpassing external expectations. However, she did not reveal that Luo Dian Dian was the one who made the final statement during the discussion.
Aside from Cai Xia, Luo Dian Dian’s close friend and veteran journalist Gao Yu also posted on platform X on November 19th to commemorate Luo Dian Dian. Gao Yu recalled that as a doctor, Luo Dian Dian served as the director of the second outpatient department at the General Staff, but had a fondness for smoking. She was reportedly under scrutiny by the General Staff for over six years during the aftermath of the June Fourth incident, with cigarette butts filling her room. Luo Dian Dian had been battling lung cancer for 6-7 years and tragically passed away on the 18th afternoon after experiencing bleeding and suffocation following a lung puncture procedure. Her untimely death at the age of 74 has left many saddened.
In the comments section, Gao Yu suggested that it might have been a medical accident resulting from a nurse’s error during the puncture procedure, causing a vessel to rupture.
During the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident, Luo Dian Dian faced investigation for opposing the authorities’ use of force to suppress student protests. Several overseas individuals have mentioned her in their memorial posts.
(Previously reported: Luo Ruiqing’s daughter, Luo Dian Dian, who faced suppression during the June Fourth incident, has passed away.)