“The Biggest Mystery in the History of the Chinese Communist Party: Wang Ming Poisoned”

Today, we are going to uncover the truth behind what has been hailed as the “greatest mystery in the history of the Chinese Communist Party”.

This is a peak showdown of power struggle, as well as a life-and-death confrontation between “the elite” and “the commoner”. Did Wang Ming fabricate facts, or did Mao Zedong truly have murderous intentions? Let’s step into this dusty history together and explore the truth.

The protagonists of the story are two prominent figures in the early days of the CCP: Wang Ming and Mao Zedong. Their conflicts and enmity were like a thrilling political drama!

Wang Ming, originally named Chen Shaoyu, was from Anhui and ten years younger than Mao Zedong. He joined the CCP in 1925 and was sent to Moscow Sun Yat-sen University for further studies. With his return after completing his studies, he became a polished “elite turtle”! He was fluent in Russian, eloquent, well-versed in Marxist theory, and highly regarded by the Soviet leadership. On the other hand, Mao Zedong had no prestigious foreign study background, had not been to the Soviet Union, did not speak Russian, and came from a humble background.

In 1931, with the support of the Soviet Union, Wang Ming rose to become the de facto leader of the CCP Central Committee and gained unparalleled prominence! He forcefully promoted his own line, negating Mao Zedong’s strategies such as “establishing base areas”, “surrounding cities from the countryside”, and “guerrilla warfare”, even stripping Mao Zedong of his military authority. This caused Chairman Mao to lose face and withdraw into the shadows. But little did anyone know, this was just the calm before the storm.

The Zunyi Conference in 1935 marked a turning point. Mao Zedong launched a strong counterattack, gradually regaining his military authority. By 1941, the Yan’an Rectification Movement was in full swing, and the Communist International faction represented by Wang Ming fell completely out of favor. More strangely, Wang Ming, who was only 37 and always in good health, suddenly fell ill! What secrets were hidden behind this?

The climax of the story took place in October 1941. During that time, Dimitrov, the head of the Communist International, sent a telegram criticizing Mao Zedong’s attitude towards the Japanese invasion of China. Wang Ming saw an opportunity to turn the tide! At a Politburo meeting, he not only refused to acknowledge Mao Zedong as “always correct”, but also openly criticized Mao’s anti-Japanese policy, and even proposed a public debate with Mao Zedong at the Party Congress!

This angered Mao Zedong! It should be noted that Mao had long been the de facto leader of the CCP six years earlier, but he had always lacked a formal title. He planned to convene the long-delayed “7th Party Congress” after the political bureau unanimously submitted to him, officially reaching the pinnacle of power. However, Wang Ming’s actions completely disrupted his plans.

A public debate? Mao Zedong was not foolish; he knew he might not win against the eloquent Wang Ming in a debate. So, he chose another way to resolve the issue.

According to Wang Ming’s memoirs published many years later, from October 4th to 9th, 1941, he and Mao Zedong engaged in fierce arguments at Mao’s home about the telegram. Starting from October 4th, Wang Ming had at least one meal at Mao’s house every day. But on October 8th, he suddenly felt unwell – significant blood loss from the stomach, dizziness, weakness in the heart. After a medical examination, a chilling diagnosis was made: symptoms resembling poisoning!

A few days later, Wang Ming fell seriously ill, bedridden and taken to the Central Hospital in Yan’an. However, the hospital turned out to be not a life-saving straw for him but a stage for even greater conspiracy.

His attending physician was Jin Maoyue. It’s worth noting that Dr. Jin was not an internist but a doctor specialized in gynecology and pediatrics! This choice alone raised suspicions.

In March 1942, as Wang Ming’s condition slightly improved and he was preparing to be discharged, on the day of his discharge, Dr. Jin handed him a pill. After taking it, Wang Ming immediately fell ill, unable to leave the hospital! Subsequently, Dr. Jin prescribed another medication, and this time, Wang Ming’s symptoms worsened – vomiting, dizziness, liver pain, spleen enlargement, and even acute gallbladder inflammation and hepatitis. His condition deteriorated rapidly, frequently lapsing into unconsciousness, hanging by a thread.

Fortunately, Wang Ming’s wife, Meng Qingshu, was a vigilant and attentive woman. She sensed that her husband’s condition was not right, decisively refused Dr. Jin’s prescription, and instead sought traditional Chinese and other Western medical treatment for Wang Ming.

By June 1942, Dr. Jin suddenly stopped prescribing medications. Why? A new Chinese-speaking Soviet liaison officer arrived in Yan’an with a radio news worker who could report directly to Moscow. Upon their arrival, they sent a telegram warning Moscow: “Nine months of treatment for Wang Ming has brought him to the brink of death!” Although Wang Ming suspected he’d been poisoned, he dared not speak out as he was in Mao Zedong’s territory, so he could only secretly preserve evidence.

In early 1943, Wang Ming’s condition further deteriorated. Doctors recommended sending him to the Nationalist-controlled zone or to the Soviet Union for treatment. However, Mao Zedong adamantly refused, not allowing even a step to be taken.

What’s more absurd is that Dr. Jin prescribed a fatal medication: calomel plus sodium bicarbonate, along with high-concentration tannic acid enemas. Those who understand medicine know that the combination of calomel and sodium bicarbonate can produce mercuric oxide, leading to mercury poisoning, which is potentially fatal when severe!

Wang Ming did not take this medication but quietly kept it and sent it to Moscow. Moscow replied confirming that this prescription would lead to “chronic poisoning”, even potentially fatal! Wang Ming handed the prescription to Fu Lianzhan, the medical director in Yan’an, forcing a central consultation of doctors.

During the consultation, Dr. Jin was evasive, unable to clearly explain what the drugs he prescribed were, and even unable to describe their appearance. The final consultation report conclusively stated that Wang Ming’s symptoms were highly consistent with mercury poisoning, the dosage of mercury taken “exceeded the maximum limit,” enough to cause poisoning or death in several individuals.

Even more shocking was the fact that Dr. Jin carried a small booklet titled “Essential for Military Doctors,” clearly stating that calomel and sodium bicarbonate should not be mixed, with the warning underlined in red. When questioned by the doctors why he violated this warning, Dr. Jin was speechless.

The truth gradually came to light. According to the memoirs written by Wang Ming before his death, Meng Qingshu publicly revealed the prescription, causing Dr. Jin to panic. He knelt before Meng Qingshu in front of many doctors, crying bitterly: “Thank you, Comrade Meng Qingshu! You did not collect the medicine according to this prescription, nor did you let Comrade Wang Ming take such medicine. By doing so, you not only saved Comrade Wang Ming but also saved me.”

He then knelt before Wang Ming’s bed, tearfully confessing, “Comrade Wang Ming, I am a guilty man in front of you. I poisoned you. Every time I prescribed poison for you, my heart was very heavy.”

When pressed for the reason, Dr. Jin finally admitted, “It was Li Fuchun who asked me to do it! He said you were a dogmatist, opposing Chairman Mao, and had to be eliminated!” Li Fuchun was then the Deputy Secretary-General of the CCP Central Committee, directly under Mao Zedong’s command. Dr. Jin also revealed that he had just been recruited as a secret party member, and Li Fuchun told him, “This is an unusual matter. Once it is decided for you to do it, you must go and finish it; you are already a party member, you must obey the party’s decision!”

At that moment, two soldiers burst in, grabbed Dr. Jin by the collar, and dragged him away. This heart-stopping confession came to an abrupt end.

Dr. Jin’s fate, however, turned out unexpectedly. He did not face any substantial punishment but was instead “protected,” ostensibly confined to Zaoyuan, where he lived and ate with espionage personnel.

Later, he continued to provide medical care to Mao Zedong and other CCP leaders, even performing abortions and sterilizations for Jiang Qing. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he became the Dean of a Beijing hospital responsible for treating leaders and their families. If he was truly a spy or acted independently in poisoning, would Mao Zedong have trusted him so much?

What’s more intriguing is that Mao Zedong even sent Jiang Qing to “clarify” to the Soviet liaison that Dr. Jin was “unreliable,” even suggesting he might be a spy. All of this seemed to exonerate Mao Zedong while framing Dr. Jin as a scapegoat.

The Soviets evidently did not believe Mao Zedong’s version of events. Their liaison directly sent a telegram to Moscow: “Wang Ming has been poisoned. Mao Zedong and Kang Sheng are involved.”

Moscow sent planes to Yan’an twice to retrieve Wang Ming but were denied by Mao Zedong on the grounds that “Wang Ming’s health is too weak to travel.”

Even more interestingly, at that time, Zhou Enlai proposed to the Soviet Union to have Mao Zedong’s son, Mao Anying, fly back to Yan’an on a Soviet plane. However, when the plane arrived, Mao Anying was not on board. Moscow’s intentions were clear: if you don’t release Wang Ming, we won’t release your son!

In the face of Soviet pressure, Mao Zedong remained steadfast. He even convened a high-level meeting in Yan’an, where Meng Qingshu publicly debunked the rumors.

Meng Qingshu knew that her family’s fate was entirely in Mao Zedong’s hands, so she denied in public any statements about “Wang Ming being poisoned,” and even wrote a letter to Mao Zedong expressing her “deep gratitude.”

In 2012, the book “The Wang Ming Poisoning Incident” published on the mainland used this letter as evidence, claiming that the “poisoning theory” was fabricated by Wang Ming.

But consider, could Meng Qingshu speak the truth at the time? Her son later recalled that although his mother appeared calm on the surface, she often broke down and cried in private, stuffing a cloth in her mouth to stifle her sobs. That kind of pain, only the person experiencing it understands.

As Mao Zedong’s control over the CCP became increasingly strong, Wang Ming’s position plummeted. In 1949, at the 7th Plenary Session of the 2nd CCP Central Committee, he publicly praised Mao Zedong’s contributions. In 1950, he was finally allowed to go to the Soviet Union for medical treatment, and in 1956, he went to the Soviet Union again and never returned to China until his death in 1974.

Four days before his death, Wang Ming organized his writings into “Fifty Years of the Chinese Communist Party and Mao Zedong’s Treachery,” detailing his experience of being poisoned. The Chinese version of this book, “CCP’s 50 Years,” was published on the mainland in 2004.

Party history experts in mainland China have questioned the “poisoning theory.” However, in 1999, the authors Zhang Rong and Harold interacted with the only living doctor, Dr. Y, who was involved in the consultation at that time. Dr. Y recalled that he stayed at Wang Ming’s home for a month and confirmed through urine tests that Wang Ming had multiple positive reactions for mercury poisoning, diagnosing him with “chronic poisoning.” This provided crucial evidence for Wang Ming’s accusations.