Weng Wenhao

Weng Wenhao (翁文灏, 1889-1971) was a distinguished Chinese geologist, politician, and educator who played a crucial role in shaping China's developmental state during the 20th century.

Born in Zhejiang Province, Weng pursued his studies in Belgium, where he earned a Ph.D. in geology from the Catholic University of Leuven. Upon his return to China, he carried out extensive geological research and significantly contributed to the mapping of China's mineral resources. In addition to teaching at Peking and Tsinghua Universities, he also held various government positions. Most notably, under the Nationalist government, he was the director of the National Resources Commission (NRC), an entity that managed state-owned enterprises during the Second Sino-Japanese War. In this capacity, Weng directed the Nationalist government's state-led industrialization efforts during and after World War II. Additionally, he served as the Minister of Economic Affairs and later as the Premier of the Republic of China from 1948 to 1949 under Chiang Kai-shek's leadership.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Weng chose to remain in China under Communist rule, where he continued to hold various government positions until his death in 1971. Many of his colleagues from the NRC also made the same choice. This continuity of NRC managers and engineers into Maoist China represented a significant continuity in the evolution of the Chinese developmental state under the Nationalists and Communists.