Introduction: A Death That Stirred Mixed Reactions

On February 28, 1948, a death occurred in Nanjing’s Capital Prison that elicited dramatically different responses across Chinese society. While ordinary citizens celebrated the passing of a notorious traitor, powerful figures like Chiang Kai-shek breathed sighs of relief. The deceased was Zhou Fohai – a man whose extraordinary political journey saw him participate in the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, rise to prominence in the Kuomintang, and ultimately become a key figure in Wang Jingwei’s collaborationist regime during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Early Life and Radical Beginnings

Born in 1897 in Yuanling County, Hunan Province, Zhou Fohai’s life began with hardship. His father died shortly after his birth, leaving his mother to raise him alone. Despite these challenges, young Zhou displayed exceptional academic talent and ambition, composing poetry that revealed his grand aspirations:

“Drinking with the dragon at his gate, drawing my sword and singing wildly with rainbow-like spirit. Willing to stem the raging tides, ashamed to dwell in barren valleys among common peaks.”

Zhou’s opportunity for advancement came in 1917 when local supporters funded his studies in Japan. Like many Chinese intellectuals of his generation, exposure to foreign ideas during his overseas education would fundamentally reshape his worldview and political trajectory.

The Communist Founding and Early Disillusionment

During a 1920 visit home from Japan, the 23-year-old Zhou met 41-year-old Chen Duxiu. Their discussions about China’s future led to their participation in founding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1921. As the representative of Japanese student groups, Zhou attended the pivotal First National Congress of the CCP in Shanghai.

Zhou later admitted his motivations combined idealism with personal ambition: “I wanted to be China’s Lenin… I dreamed of becoming a great diplomat shining on the international stage or a revolutionary leader guiding masses to overthrow the ruling class.” His early writings demonstrated impressive theoretical understanding of Marxism, establishing his reputation as an intellectual leader.

However, Zhou’s commitment to communism proved fleeting. By 1924, his ideological shift became apparent when he accepted positions in the Kuomintang (KMT) as both Central Propaganda Department secretary and Guangdong University professor. His monthly salary of 440 silver dollars (compared to Mao Zedong’s 8 dollars as a librarian) marked the beginning of his transition away from revolutionary ideals.

Rise in the Kuomintang and the “Low-Key Club”

After formally leaving the CCP in 1924, Zhou Fohai became a vocal anti-communist writer and rising star in the KMT. His intellectual flexibility and writing skills attracted Chiang Kai-shek’s attention, leading to appointments as political instructor at the Whampoa Military Academy and later as deputy director of propaganda.

The outbreak of full-scale war with Japan in 1937 revealed Zhou’s defeatist tendencies. His luxurious Nanjing home’s bomb shelter became the meeting place for the so-called “Low-Key Club” – influential figures including Hu Shi and Chen Bulei who doubted China’s ability to resist Japan. Zhou argued: “China cannot compare with Japan in any aspect. If the war expands and prolongs, Japan may face difficulties, but when Japan feels itchy, China will already be in unbearable pain.”

Collaboration and the Wang Jingwei Regime

Zhou’s pessimism about China’s war prospects aligned him with Wang Jingwei, despite their previous mutual disdain. As Wang’s key strategist, Zhou orchestrated contacts with Japanese officials and pushed for the establishment of the collaborationist Reorganized National Government in Nanjing in 1940.

Within the puppet regime, Zhou accumulated extraordinary power as finance minister, mayor of Shanghai, and head of the central bank. His diary reveals both political calculation and personal vanity: “The national government’s return to Nanjing, with our flag flying again over the city, was entirely my initiative… Having such a chapter in life makes one’s existence worthwhile!”

Double Game and Postwar Reckoning

In a remarkable twist, Zhou began secretly cooperating with Chiang Kai-shek’s intelligence chief Dai Li in 1943, transmitting intelligence and helping eliminate rival collaborators like the notorious secret police head Li Shiqun. After Japan’s surrender in 1945, Zhou ensured Shanghai’s smooth handover to KMT forces rather than communist troops.

Zhou’s trial in 1946 became a national sensation, with crowds packing the courtroom to witness his eloquent self-defense portraying himself as a patriot playing a complex double role. Despite his claims and connections, he received a death sentence that was later commuted to life imprisonment through Chiang’s personal intervention.

Final Days and Historical Legacy

Zhou spent his final months in prison suffering severe heart disease, dying in 1948 at age 51. His burial was a quiet affair, far removed from the grand political stages he had once occupied. Zhou’s life encapsulates the turbulent choices faced by Chinese intellectuals during the Republic era – from revolutionary idealism to political opportunism, ending as a cautionary tale about the perils of compromised principles.

His story continues to fascinate as a complex case study of ideological fluidity, personal ambition, and moral compromise during one of China’s most tumultuous periods. The unanswered questions about his true loyalties and motivations ensure his place as one of modern Chinese history’s most enigmatic figures.