Weekend Long Read: In Memory of the Beloved Translator of China’s Top Leaders

Editor’s note: Yan Mingfu, who began his career as the official Russian translator for Chinese leaders including Mao Zedong, and later senior party and government officials in the 1980s and 1990s , died Monday in Beijing at the age of 92.

Yan served as minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee in 1986, vice chairman of the National People’s Political Consultative Conference in 1988 and vice minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs from 1991 to 1997.

After his death, thoughts and prayers poured in mourning his extraordinary life and his common touch with the Chinese youth. The following essays, published by Caixin, were written by Deng Rong, daughter of former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, and Zhu Huaxin, executive council member and director of internet and new economy studies at the China Society of Economic Reform.