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Ye Xuanping (; 20 December 1924 – 17 September 2019) was a Chinese official, who served as Mayor of Guangzhou from 1980 to 1985 and Governor of Guangdong, his native province, from 1985 to 1991. Ye was a strong supporter of Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening policy. Under his leadership, Guangdong grew economically prosperous and gained significant autonomy from Beijing. Concerned about his power, the national government manoeuvred to relieve him of the governorship, but allowed him to maintain his power base in Guangdong. He subsequently served as Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 1991 to 2003.
Ye was the eldest son of Ye Jianying, one of the founding Yuanshuai of the People's Republic of China, who was instrumental in overthrowing the Gang of Four and ending the Cultural Revolution. After the death of his father, he became the patriarch of their powerful family, dubbed the "Ye Dynasty".
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Ye lived in Yan'an, the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and did not reunite with his father until 1941. He studied mechanics at the Yan'an Institute of Natural Sciences from 1941 to 1945, and joined the CCP in 1945. After graduation he worked at Yan'an Arsenal and other factories.
In 1976, Marshal Ye Jianying played a key role in a coup overthrowing the Gang of Four and ending the Cultural Revolution. In 1977, Xuanping was sent to study at the Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party, and subsequently served as Director of the Third Bureau of the State Science and Technology Commission from 1978 to 1980.
As a member of the Central Committee, Ye, together with Shanghai mayor Zhu Rongji, was a major regional leader who supported the reformist General Secretary Zhao Ziyang, and resisted Premier Li Peng's policy of retrenchment.The Joint Economic Committee, United States Congress (1992). 9781563241581, M.E. Sharpe. . ISBN 9781563241581 Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre and the fall of Zhao Ziyang, the Ye family's power was believed to have weakened due to its sympathy with Zhao.
Under Ye's leadership, Guangdong grew economically prosperous while gaining significant autonomy from the national government in Beijing, and Hong Kong media dubbed him the "Emperor of the South". The central government, increasingly concerned about his power, manoeuvred to relieve him of the governorship. In April 1991, Ye agreed to leave his post and accepted the appointment as Vice Chairman of the 7th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a nominally higher ranking position. In return, Beijing agreed to appoint Zhu Senlin, his designated candidate, as his successor, and allowed Ye to continue to reside in Guangdong. Ye had reportedly threatened to withhold Guangdong's remittance to Beijing if his conditions were not met, and effectively maintained his power base in the province. He served two more terms (8th and 9th CPPCC) as Vice Chairman, until 2003.
Ye was an alternate member of the 12th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and a full member of the 13th and 14th Central Committees. He was also a delegate to the 5th and 6th National People's Congresses.
On 17 September 2019, Ye died in Guangzhou, aged 94.
Ye Xuanping's son, Ye Xinfu, is a businessman in Hong Kong who founded the conglomerate P W Asia and served as a director of at least 11 companies, including Tse Sui Luen, one of the largest jewellery chains. His grandson, Ye Zhonghao, was appointed head of Guangdong's Yunfu Hi-Tech Industry Development Zone in 2017.
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