SUN Yat-sen, China (1866-1925)
Founder and early leader of China's Nationalist Party, born in Xiang-shan, China. He was widely accepted as the true leader of the nation and has been called the father of modern China. His doctrines are encapsulated in his "Three Principles of the People": Nationalism (abolition of European exploitation and the unification of the people in China), Democracy (a gradual approach under the guidance of a single party -the Kuomintang- to constitutional government), and Livelihood (the welfare of the masses was to be the first care of the state).
His "Principles" have been accepted by both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. He first became actively involved with politics in 1894 when he became alarmed by the weakness and decay of his country; he founded the Society for the Revival of China, a forerunner of several revolutionary groups, including the Kuomintang. Visits to the USA and his brief imprisonment in 1896 by the Chinese legation in Britain brought him worldwide publicity and support. During the revolution that overthrew the Manchu dynasty, he returned in 1911 and was elected president of the provisional government. He resigned in 1912 after opposition from more conservative members of the government and after leading an unsuccessful revolt the following year, left the country. He regained power in 1923. During his presidency, he reorganised the Kuomintang which achieved the cooperation of Chinese communists and expounded his revolutionary doctrine.