Xiong Xianghui

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 Yan'an when Nationalist general Hu Zongnan moved to capture Yan'an. Although Hu was successful in the "lighting attack" operation to sack Yan'an, 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 Chiang Kai-shek, 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 1970s. 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.