Iranian Businessman Funds Khomeini's Tragic Downfall; Rong Yiren's Support for Communists Also Ends in Despair

The image depicts Beijing's Tiananmen Square. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News] I recently came across a tweet from Professor Zhang Ping, who is currently in Israel, on platform X. He noted that the Air France flight that returned the instigator of today's severe disaster in Iran, the religious leader Khomeini, was chartered and financed with a substantial insurance premium by the wealthy Iranian businessman Karim Dastmalchi.

Moreover, at the onset of Khomeini's return to power, Dastmalchi provided significant funding that helped Khomeini successfully seize control. However, history is ironically cruel; Karim, who played a crucial role in Khomeini's revolutionary success, faced a tragic fate. Just two years later, in 1981, he was executed by Khomeini's regime on charges of 'exploitation' and 'corruption' for supporting moderate President Banisadr and opposing theocratic rule, while all his assets were confiscated. His family endured severe persecution, with many ultimately fleeing abroad, left impoverished and destitute.

The information referenced by Professor Zhang is sourced from an entry written by the esteemed Iranian historian Ahmad Ashraf in the 'Encyclopedia of Iran.' Professor Zhang's succinct summary captures the essence perfectly: Being kind to a devil will not earn you mercy from the devil!

In mainland China, the saying holds true: showing kindness to the devil of the Communist Party will not earn you mercy from him! Since the Communist Party of China (CPC) took power in 1949, countless underground parties, democrats, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs who supported the CPC's rise have only realised they were deceived after facing the brutal consequences of the Party's actions. Unfortunately, by then it was too late, leading to either the destruction of their families or the waste of their prime years. Among these individuals are many private entrepreneurs, with Rong Yiren and the Rong family being the most notable examples, having been labelled 'red capitalists' by the CPC.

As reported by Dajiyuan columnist Lin Hui, after the CPC established its regime, it not only carried out land reforms in rural areas to eliminate 'landlords' and suppress counter-revolutionaries but also launched a campaign in urban areas under the banner of the 'Five Anti' movement aimed at eradicating the urban and rural national 'bourgeoisie' through industrial and commercial transformation. In January 1952, the CPC introduced the 'Five Anti Movement' targeting entrepreneurs, which included 'opposing bribery, opposing tax evasion, opposing the embezzlement of state property, opposing substandard work, and opposing the theft of economic intelligence.' By early February, the Five Anti campaign had commenced in major cities, quickly escalating into a peak effort to transform the 'bourgeoisie,' with Shanghai being the primary target due to its status as a commercial hub with many entrepreneurs.

During the 'Five Anti' movement, business operators who surrendered their assets and expressed support for the Communist Party were classified as internal contradictions among the people; those who voiced discontent or complaints were labelled as 'counter-revolutionaries' and became targets of state repression. The guiding principle was clear: those who comply will thrive, while those who resist will face destruction.

Throughout this process, entrepreneurs were frequently summoned day and night to 'explain issues' or taken to makeshift courts for interrogation, where they were coerced into 'confessing crimes.' In the midst of this violent upheaval, many entrepreneurs, small business owners, and vendors were forced to surrender their assets. Tragically, some, unable to endure the humiliation, chose to take their own lives, with some resorting to poison and others jumping from buildings.

The exact number of entrepreneurs in Shanghai who became 'paratroopers' during the 'Five Anti' movement remains a mystery to this day. According to data from 'Historical Political Movements Since the Founding of the Nation,' compiled in 1996 by the Central Party History Research Office and three other departments, over 323,100 individuals were arrested during the 'Three Anti and Five Anti' campaigns, with more than 280 reported to have committed suicide or gone missing. Until the actual figures can be revealed, this information can only serve as a rough reference.

Nevertheless, for those entrepreneurs who significantly influenced China's national economy and supported the Communist Party of China, the Party initially feigned support, as seen with the Rong family enterprises.

The Rong family enterprises were quite renowned during the Republic of China period. Founders Rong Zongjing and Rong Desheng built their businesses from the ground up, establishing over twenty private enterprises in Wuxi, Shanghai, and other locations. They earned the titles of 'King of Flour' and 'King of Cotton Yarn,' enjoying a prominent reputation in the business community for decades. Rong Desheng's son is Rong Yiren.

During the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took advantage of internal traitors to disrupt the financial stability of the Nationalist government, resulting in severe inflation and significant turmoil within the Rong family. Many businesspeople in Shanghai began transferring their assets overseas in search of new opportunities, and the Rong family was no exception. Rong Zongjing's eldest son, Rong Hongyuan, along with Rong Hongsan, Rong Hongqing, Rong Desheng's son, Rong Erren, and Rong Yanren, all left Shanghai one after another. In contrast, Rong Desheng and his son, Rong Yiren, ultimately decided to remain on the mainland after careful consideration.

It is reported that before leaving for Hong Kong, Rong Erren made an agreement with Rong Yiren: 'One will stay in the country, and the other will go abroad; if everything goes well, we can return.' After the CCP came to power, Rong Erren briefly returned to China but applied to go abroad again in 1951, relocating to the United States. This move allowed him to avoid future misfortunes.

Meanwhile, Rong Desheng and his son, Rong Yiren, who stayed in China, supported the CCP through actual donations, including funds for purchasing aircraft for the Korean War. Although they initially received support from the CCP, such as access to raw materials and commissioned processing of products, they were ultimately forced to comply with the CCP's campaign to consolidate power. This campaign, which was presented as 'implementing public-private partnerships in private industry,' was essentially a forced expropriation of private enterprises. In 1956, they had to choose to support this public-private partnership and surrendered all 56 textile, flour, and other businesses that their ancestors had painstakingly built. At a conference, Chen Yi, who was the mayor of Shanghai at the time, cited them as a model, declaring, 'Rong Yiren is a red capitalist.'

Additionally, due to Rong Yiren's extensive family ties abroad, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) employed a strategy of 'supporting' him to mislead the outside world. He initially took on the role of Vice Mayor of Shanghai in 1957, and later served as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Textile Industry.

It remains uncertain whether he was haunted by the grim fates of nearby entrepreneurs or had already come to understand the CCP's harshness, but Rong Yiren applied to join the CCP four times, only receiving approval in 1985 at the age of 69.

At the onset of the Cultural Revolution, Rong Yiren's family also faced significant challenges. His right index finger was broken by an iron post, and his wife, Yang Jianqing, lost consciousness several times. Their fourth daughter, Zhiyuan, who had mental disabilities due to encephalitis, was also affected. Following Zhou Enlai's intervention, the couple managed to survive, but Rong Yiren was assigned to work in the boiler room carrying coal, which led to chronic back pain, and an untreated retinal haemorrhage resulted in blindness in his left eye. After losing sight in that eye, he was tasked with cleaning toilets.

Although he did not perish during the CCP's campaigns, the regime's brutality left Rong Yiren deeply unsettled. After the Cultural Revolution concluded, the CCP, eager to stimulate economic growth, once again turned to the Rong family's overseas connections, and Rong Yiren was once more brought to the forefront by the CCP. In 1978, he was appointed Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In 1979, he became the President of the China International Trust Investment Corporation, which operated directly under the State Council. Leveraging his business strategies and international connections, Rong Yiren played a crucial role in the CCP's economic development.

However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) did not anticipate that Rong Yiren would apply to withdraw from the party three times after joining. His first withdrawal request was related to the 'June Fourth Incident'; the second was due to a conflict with Jiang Zemin; and the third request came in June 2000, after Rong Yiren had retired. At that time, he represented various nominal parties and suggested to the Central Political Bureau that democratic parties should be allowed to participate in politics and governance. Jiang Zemin dismissed him, telling him to go cool off. In anger, Rong Yiren ceased his participation in party activities until Jiang stepped down in December 2002.

Rong Yiren passed away in Beijing in October 2005. He left a will titled 'I Want to Say a Few Words to the Party,' which essentially stated that a party that has lost its faith, is not bound by law, is disconnected from the masses, and pursues monetary interests, is hopeless and betrays the People's Republic.

Rong Yiren's will, having been exploited by the CCP, struck a chord with the party. However, what he failed to realise was that since the CCP is inherently corrupt, how could it possibly change? Is the current CCP not still inflicting harm on the people and even committing the atrocious crime of live organ harvesting? Such an evil CCP should not exist in this world.

(First published by People News) △