At the end of 1948, as the Chinese Civil War neared its conclusion, Yang Zhaolong, a distinguished legal scholar and then-director of the Criminal Division in the Ministry of Judicial Administration under the Republic of China, faced a critical decision. His sister-in-law, Sha Yiyin, approached him with a request — one that would change his fate forever. She pleaded for his help in securing the release of Communist Party members imprisoned by the Nationalist government.
Yang Zhaolong hesitated, recognizing the danger. “This is a serious matter,” he reportedly said. “What if the Communists don’t treat me well in the future?” But after intense persuasion, including an all-night discussion with a Communist underground operative named Bai Sha, he finally agreed.
Yang was appointed the Republic of China’s final Chief Prosecutor shortly afterward. He leveraged his influence to convince Minister of Justice Zhang Zhiben to propose a resolution to release political prisoners, which the Executive Yuan then approved. Yang personally traveled to Guangzhou to obtain the signature of Acting President Li Zongren, ensuring the order was carried out nationwide.
As a result, over 10,000 Communist prisoners were freed across China, a move that would later earn Yang Zhaolong the title of “lifesaving benefactor” from Communist officials — at least for the time being.
A distinguished legal scholar
Despite his later obscurity, Yang Zhaolong was once one of the most prominent legal minds of his era. In 1948, the Hague Academy of International Law recognized him as one of the world’s 50 most outstanding legal scholars.
Born with a gift for languages and law, Yang Zhaolong graduated from Yenching University and Soochow University. By 25, he was already a professor at Soochow University’s law school. At 30, Harvard Law School admitted him into its doctoral program, where he earned a Ph.D. in law before pursuing postdoctoral research at the University of Berlin.
Yang Zhaolong was uniquely versed in both the Anglo-American and Continental legal traditions. He spoke eight languages fluently — English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Czech, and Polish — and played a key role in translating the United Nations Charter into Chinese.
Returning to China in 1936, he taught at leading institutions such as Central University, Zhejiang University, and Fudan University. He also served as president of the Chinese Society of Comparative Law and vice president of the International Criminal Law Association. His contributions to Chinese legal development were extensive, including drafting significant legal codes such as the Constitution of the Republic of China, the Military Requisition Law, and the War Crimes Trial Regulations.
After the Second World War, Yang Zhaolong took a leading role in prosecuting Japanese war criminals, heading a war crimes evidence investigation team that gathered over 300,000 documents related to Japan’s atrocities in China.
A single misstep led to a tragic fate
As 1948 drew to a close, China’s political landscape was shifting rapidly. The Nationalist government was losing ground, and the Communist Party was on the verge of taking control. Yang Zhaolong, with his prestigious background, had multiple options for his future.
He was offered:
- A plane ticket to Taiwan, where the Nationalist government was retreating.
- A teaching position at Harvard Law School, personally extended by the dean, Roscoe Pound.
- A tenured professorship at a Canadian university.
- A research opportunity at the Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands.
- The choice to remain in mainland China under Communist rule.
After being reassured by Communist officials — who promised him protection, a stable career, and respect for his expertise — Yang Zhaolong chose to stay. His wife, Sha Suoyin, also encouraged this decision, believing that his past assistance to the Communist Party would ensure their safety.
However, the regime’s promises were nothing more than empty words.
Branded an enemy and crushed by the regime
Initially, Yang Zhaolong was named Dean of Soochow University’s Law School, but his career was quickly derailed. In 1952, as China’s universities were restructured under Soviet-style reforms, many law schools were shut down, and legal scholars like Yang were sidelined. He was forced into clerical work at a library and later assigned to teach Russian at Fudan University, which was far from his field of expertise.
In 1955, during the Anti-Rightist Campaign, Yang Zhaolong was targeted as a major counter-revolutionary threat. The authorities accused him of:
- Killing Communist martyrs.
- Sabotaging land reform.
- Being a Nationalist spy.
None of these accusations had any basis in fact. Ironically, one of the main charges against him was that he had not fled to Taiwan. The authorities claimed this was suspicious — suggesting he might be a hidden Nationalist agent.
Though he narrowly escaped the initial purge, worse was yet to come.
A trap set by the regime
In 1957, the Communist Party launched the “Hundred Flowers Campaign,” encouraging intellectuals to offer constructive criticism of the government. Yang Zhaolong. He criticized the Communist Party’s judicial policies, pointing out how unqualified officials were placed in key legal positions while experienced judges were removed.
But this was merely a trick — what came next was the “Anti-Rightist Campaign.” Yang’s remarks were labeled “anti-Party and anti-socialist,” and he was declared an “ultra-rightist.” His salary was cut from 300 yuan to 35 yuan per month, he was evicted from his home, and he was forced into hard labor, where he worked until he collapsed and was hospitalized.
Even his children were not spared. His daughter and two sons were also branded as “rightists” for defending their father’s innocence.
Then, in the 1960s, the Public Security Bureau set a trap. A secret agent posing as a sympathizer befriended Yang and suggested he flee to Hong Kong. Though Yang refused, he later introduced the agent to a student who hoped to study abroad. The agent manipulated the situation, collecting “evidence” that implicated Yang in an alleged escape plan. In 1963, Yang and his son were arrested — both charged as “counter-revolutionaries.”
Yang was sentenced to life in prison. His son received a 10-year sentence.
Betrayed, imprisoned, and left with nothing
Yang endured 12 years in prison, surviving under brutal conditions. His suffering only ended in 1975, when he was released as part of a general amnesty for former Nationalist officials. By then, he was 71 years old, frail, and broken.
Upon his release, he searched for his wife, only to learn the devastating truth. Sha Suoyin had been harassed and humiliated by the Red Guards. Unable to endure the relentless persecution, she took her own life in 1966.
Her last words to their daughter were: “If I never see your father again, tell him this — ‘I was the one who ruined him.’”
Yang Zhaolong, upon hearing this, was inconsolable. He had trusted the promises of the Communist Party, believing his contributions would be remembered. Instead, he lost everything — his career, freedom, and family.
Translated by Chua BC
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