Wang Ruowang | |
|---|---|
| Born | Shouhua (寿华) February 4, 1918 Wujin, Jiangsu, China |
| Died | December 19, 2001 (aged 83) Queens, New York City, United States |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Spouses | Li Ming, Yang Zi |
Wang Ruowang (Chinese: 王若望; pinyin: Wáng Rùowàng; Wade–Giles: Wang Jo-wang; February 4, 1918 – December 19, 2001) was a Chinese author and dissident who was imprisoned various times for political reasons by both the Kuomintang and the Communist government of China for advocating reform and liberalization. His name at birth was "Shouhua" (traditional Chinese: 壽華; simplified Chinese: 寿华; pinyin: Shòuhuá), but he was most commonly known by his pen name, "Ruowang". He was a prolific essayist and literary critic.
Wang was a member of the Chinese Communist Party from 1937 to 1957, when he was expelled for holding "rightist views". He rejoined the party in 1979, but in 1987 he was again expelled by Deng Xiaoping for promoting "bourgeois liberalization". After his death in exile in New York City, he was widely eulogized as one of the Chinese government's most significant social and political critics.