Cui Jiyuan

Cui Jiyuan was born in 1917 in Cuijiaguanzhuang, Linzi County (now Linzi District, Zibo), Shandong Province. In the autumn of 1937, following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, he left Jinan Senior High School and traveled to Yan'an. In August 1938, he enrolled at the Guyi branch of the Shaanbei Public School, and in September of the same year he joined the Chinese Communist Party.^[2]

After completing his studies in July 1939, Cui worked for an extended period in the government of the Jin–Cha–Ji Border Region, where he was involved in political and administrative affairs. From August 1948 onward, he held a series of positions within the CCP's security and intelligence apparatus, including section chief of the Social Affairs Department of the CCP Jin–Cha–Ji Bureau, deputy director and director of the Social Affairs Department of the CCP North China Bureau, and director, deputy director, and later director of the Liaison Department of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission.^[3]

In July 1956, Cui was appointed political counsellor at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Switzerland. In January 1965, he became vice minister of the Central Investigation Department of the Chinese Communist Party, a position he held until his death. In addition to his intelligence work, he also served as a vice president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, contributing to the PRC's external liaison and friendship activities.^[4]

Cui Jiyuan died of illness in December 1977 at the age of 60.^[1]