The Dictator's Enabler: Searching for the Real Zhou Enlai.

Chen Jian's biography of Zhou Enlai, titled "Zhou Enlai: A Life," examines the intricate dynamic between Zhou and Mao Zedong. Zhou, China's long-serving premier, is remembered in China as a leader who tempered Mao's extreme actions and helped prevent the country from collapsing during revolutionary campaigns. However, critics argue that Zhou was a subservient enabler who supported Mao's irrational and brutal political movements. Chen's biography does not offer a definitive answer to this puzzle, but it allows readers to grapple with Zhou's contradictions. The book raises questions about the possibility of a "good official" moderating a dictator and whether authoritarianism is deeply ingrained in political culture. Gao Wenqian's biography, "Zhou Enlai: The Last Perfect Revolutionary," delves into Zhou's life, focusing on his complex relationship with Mao and the compromises he had to make to support Mao's worldview. Despite these compromises, Zhou achieved significant diplomatic successes, such as facilitating the reconciliation between China and the United States. The article also acknowledges the limitations of available source material and raises the question of Zhou's sexuality. Overall, the biography portrays Zhou as a capable leader who was profoundly influenced by his association with Mao. [Extracted from the article]