Xiong Xianghui

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Xiong.

Xiong Xianghui 熊向晖
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Spy
In office 1936–1954
Military Secretary to Hu Zongnan
In office 1937–1947
Diplomatic Officer
In office 1954–1962
Chinese chargé d'affaires to UK
In office 1962–1971
Aide to Foreign Minister of the PRC
In office 1954–1971
PRC Ambassador to Mexico
In office 1972–1973
Preceded by	none
Personal details
Born	(1919-04-12)April 12, 1919 Shandong, Republic of China
Died	Beijing,People's Republic of China
Nationality	Chinese
Political party	Communist Party of China
Other political affiliations	Guomindang (1936-1947)
Spouse(s)	Chen Xiaohua
Children	Xiong Lei Name Unknown
Alma mater	Western Reserve University
Military service
Allegiance	People's Republic of China
Battles/wars	Chinese Civil War

Xiong Xianghui (April 12, 1919 – September 9, 2005) was a Chinese Communist spy during the Chinese Civil War, and later diplomat. He played a role in the victory of the Communist Party of China over the Guomindang in the Chinese Civil War, acted as an aide to Zhou Enlai and then served in China's diplomatic service, helping to broker a thaw in Sino-American relations.

Xiong was instrumental of the CCP leadership's escape from Yenan when Nationalist General Hu Zongnan moved to capture Yenan. Although Hu was successful in the "lighting attack" operation to sack Yenan, he was unable to capture or kill the CCP leadership. Hu was his personal secretary in 1946-1947, Xiong Xianghui, had tipped off the CCP leadership in March, two weeks prior to the Nationalist assault. Xiong's warning gave the CCP leadership enough time to relocate to Zhangjiakou. Xiong had also provided the CCP with Hu's battle plans and elements of conversations he had overheard with Nationalist leader Jiang Jieshi, which would cause immense damage to Hu's forces thereafter.

After the Chinese Civil War, Xiong studied abroad in the United States. Xiong had a long diplomatic career after returning to China, ultimately serving in key posts and alongside Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, with whom he had a lifelong friendship. Xiong would serve as Zhou's personal assistant during the meetings with Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon. He advocated "playing the America card" against the USSR during the Sino-Soviet tensions of the 1970's. Xiong finished his career as the PRC's first Ambassador to Mexico, after Mexico followed the United Nations lead in switching recognition from the Republic of China] on Taiwan to the Communist People's Republic of China on the mainland.

Xiong died of cancer in Beijing three years after his wife, Chen Xiaohua, with whom he had two children.

External links

• Guardian obituary
• China Daily Obituary
• (Chinese) 熊向晖在周恩来总理的直接安排下，担任胡贴身副官、机要秘书长达十二年，并一直和周总理保持直接的单线联系。对于熊向晖在抗战中的作用，毛泽东称赞说：“他一人可以顶几个师”。