90 years ago today, Chinese appeared on the cover of Time for the first time.

　　　　　　　　[Editor’s note]

　　　　　　　　After Yuan Shikai’s death, the Beiyang Army split up, and warlords of various departments competed for the Central Plains. In September, 1924, the Jiangsu-Zhejiang War broke out, and the direct warlord led by Wu Peifu competed with the Anhui warlord for control of Shanghai. Before that, Wu Peifu had already won the victory over the Feng warlord Zhang Zuolin. In the eyes of westerners, Wu Peifu was undoubtedly the "strongest" in China at that time. On September 8th, Wu Peifu appeared on the cover of Time magazine, becoming the first Chinese to win this "honor".

　　　　　　　　After that, Feng Yuxiang, Chiang Kai-shek, Song Meiling, Wang Jingwei, Song Ziwen, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Luo Ruiqing, Chen Yi, Deng Xiaoping, etc. appeared on the cover of the weekly magazine one after another, becoming face of china that attracted worldwide attention. Of course, these characters are key players active in China’s political field, but what did the American news media people see from them at the moment when they became cover figures? In the process of making cover characters, what did the micro-expressions of those characters express to the world?

　　　　　　　　

The first Chinese on the cover of Time: Wu Peifu.

The captions under the photos are "General Wu" and "Biggest man in China". At that time, the Jiangsu-Zhejiang War broke out in southern China. The direct warlord led by Wu Peifu is fighting with the Anhui warlord for the control of Shanghai.

　　　　　　　　

1920s: Who was the strongest in China?

　　　　　　　　After Wu Peifu, Chiang Kai-shek, the second commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, appeared on the cover weekly of Time. In March, 1927, Chiang Kai-shek led the Kuomintang troops northward into Shanghai, in order to complete the complete reunification of the north and south of China. Of course, this is not easy. In 1929, the new warlords of the Kuomintang were in a scuffle again, filled with smoke. In 1930, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang and Li Zongren jointly launched a war against Chiang Kai-shek, that is, the Central Plains War, which was the largest warlord melee in China’s modern history. As key figures in this period, Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan also appeared on the cover of Time magazine.

　　　　　　　　

1930s: Clouds of war were gathering, and the war was in chaos.

　　　　　　　　Since his first appearance on the cover of Time in April 1927, Chiang Kai-shek, as the supreme leader of China, naturally attracted the attention of western media in the 1930s. During this decade, Chiang Kai-shek appeared on the cover of Time magazine five times, including two appearances with his wife Song Meiling. In addition to Jiang and Song, in 1934, Puyi was enthroned as the "Emperor of Manchukuo", which made him appear in Time magazine. On March 18th, 1935, Wang Jingwei became the cover of Time magazine. 　 　 　

Chiang Kai-shek’s Face in Time

　 　 　 　　

　 　 　 　 The middle picture is: Chiang Kai-shek (November 9, 1936).

　　　　　　　　Clockwise from top left to bottom right are: Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling (October 26, 1931), which is Song Meiling’s first appearance in Time; Chiang Kai-shek (December 11, 1933); Stalin, Emperor Hirohito, Puyi and Chiang Kai-shek (January 24, 1936) were caused by the military conflict between the Soviet Union and Japan on the border between China and Mongolia; Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling (January 3, 1938), this is the Chiang couple who appeared on the cover of Time magazine as the person of the year in 1937.　 　 　 　　

Puyi (March 5, 1934)

　　　　　　　Previously, the Puppet Manchukuo was founded in 1932, and Puyi was promoted by the Japanese as the "head of state" and later called the "emperor". On March 1, 1934, Puyi held a ceremony to ascend the throne. A few days later, on March 5, the cover figure of Time magazine was Puyi.

On March 18th, 1935, Premier Wang appeared on the cover of Time magazine.

　　　　　　　　In 1935, Wang Jingwei was appointed President and Foreign Minister of the Executive Yuan of the National Government of the Republic of China, ranking second only to Chiang Kai-shek. How is the relationship between China and Japan progressing? Is it war or peace? What’s his attitude?

1940s: The Anti-Japanese War was a great event, and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party were wrestling.

　　　　　　　　In this decade, the war of resistance against Japan is undoubtedly the most important historical event. For Chiang Kai-shek, the Anti-Japanese War was arduous. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, how to promote the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party is also a problem. On September 3, 1945, Chiang Kai-shek appeared on the cover of Time magazine as a "winner" in the Anti-Japanese War. At that time, the issue of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China had attracted the attention of the world. As for December 1948, Chiang Kai-shek, who had just experienced the Liaoshen Campaign and the Huaihai Campaign, was once again on the cover of Time magazine, and the situation of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party was quietly reversed, which seemed to imply the coming of another era of Time magazine face of china.

In the 1940s, Chiang Kai-shek made three appearances on the cover of Time: June 1, 1942 (the stalemate stage of the Anti-Japanese War); September 3, 1945 (victory in the Anti-Japanese War); December 6, 1948 (during the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, the Pingjin Campaign).　 　 　 　　

From left to right: Chen Cheng (June 16th, 1941), Song Meiling (March 1st, 1943), Song Ziwen (December 18th, 1944), Chen Lifu (May 26th, 1947).　　

1950s: The Face Assembly Number of Red China

　　　　　　　　The Communist Party of China (CPC)’s first ten years in power. In 1955, Chiang Kai-shek appeared on the cover of Time magazine for the last time. The Communist Party of China (CPC), who opened another era for the cover figures of Time magazine, whether Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Chen Yi and Luo Ruiqing, are all faces from "RED CHINA" in the eyes of Time magazine.

Chiang Kai-shek (April 18, 1955)　 　 　 　　

Clockwise from top left：

Mao Zedong (11 December 1950); "Communist" Zhou Enlai (June 18, 1951); "Zhou Enlai in Red China" (March 10th, 1954); Mao Zedong (December 1, 1958), in the upper right corner of the cover, quoted Napoleon’s words: China is a sleeping lion, and when she wakes up, she will shock the world.

On March 5, 1956, General Luo Ruiqing. Luo Ruiqing, the police leader of Red China, was then the Minister of Public Security.

Liu Shaoqi, 12 October 1959. There are two lines in the upper left corner of the cover: "red China’s first decade" and "work, purges, disintegration".

　

The 1960s: Unprecedented turmoil

On September 9, 1966, Secretary of Defense Lin Biao. In the upper right corner, it says, "Chinese’s nightmare."

Mao Zedong, 13 January 1967. In the upper left corner, it says, "China is in chaos."

　　　　　　　　

1970s and 1980s: Who was in charge of ups and downs?

　On February 3, 1975, Premier Zhou Enlai. The era of Mao Zedong is coming to an end, and China will face a new period of development, and Zhou Enlai will shoulder this heavy responsibility?

Deng Xiaoping, 19 January 1976. The title is "Deng Xiaoping, Zhou’s successor", and the top right corner reads: "China, friend or enemy?"

Mao Zedong, 20 September 1976. At that time, Mao had passed away.　 　　

From left to right: Zhou Enlai (November 8, 1971), ping-pong diplomacy, China and the United States trying to adjust foreign relations; In 1972, Nixon visited China; Deng Xiaoping (February 5, 1979), China and the United States established diplomatic relations.　 　 　

From the late 1970s to the 1980s, Deng Xiaoping appeared frequently on the cover of Time. From left: On January 1, 1979, Deng Xiaoping was named the man of the year in 1978; 26 September 1983; 23 September 1985; On January 6th, 1986, Deng Xiaoping once again became the man of the year.