In Memoriam--Yang Xiaoping 1952-1989


IN MEMORIAM
YANG XIAOPING

1952-1989

It is with the deepest sadness that we report the death of our
friend and colleague, Yang Xiaoping, who died of a massive cerebral
hemorrhage on September 24, 1989. Xiaoping served for two years
on the staff of the Journal of Chinese Law, most recently as Transla-
tions Editor.

Xiaoping was born on March 25, 1952, in Shanghai, China. He
received his LL.B. degree in 1983 and LL.M. degree in 1986 from
Shanghai's Fudan University. He came to the United States in the
Fall of 1986 to pursue a J.D. degree at Columbia University School of
Law, which he completed in May 1989.

In spite of language barriers and other challenges of living in
New York City, Xiaoping persevered. Through his determination
and diligence, Xiaoping excelled academically. In 1988, he was desig-
nated a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar for his academic excellence in
law.

Xiaoping's scholarly achievements, however, extended far
beyond the classroom. He co-authored "Private Enterprise in China:
The Developing Law of Collective Enterprises," published in the Fall
1985 issue of The International Lawyer. He also co-authored "The
Reform of the Chinese System of Enterprise Ownership," published in
the Fall 1987 issue of the Stanford Journal of International Law.
Most recently, Xiaoping authored "Progress and Problems in the
Development of a New Income Tax System for State-Owned Enter-
prises in China" for the Journal of Chinese Law, which appears on the
pages that follow.

Xiaoping was an invaluable resource to the Journal of Chinese
Law. He possessed not only a comprehensive knowledge of the lav
and languages of China and the United States, but also a sophisticated
understanding of the underlying economic and political realities of
both countries. Many previous Journal articles would not have been
published without Xiaoping's expertise. Whenever we had difficulty
with a section of a Chinese footnote or text, the solution was always
"ask Xiaoping." His untimely death is a tragic loss to both the Chi-
nese and the American legal communities.

While many may have the capacity to help others, few matched
Xiaoping in his willingness to do so. Despite his own publishing



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deadlines and the pressures of law school, whenever asked to do an
additional task for the Journal or a favor for a friend, Xiaoping was
invariably happy to help out. He often spoke of his desire to eventu-
ally return to China to teach law and promote understanding between
Chinese and Americans. He also wished to share his experiences here
by helping other Chinese students adjust to life in the United States.

To Xiaoping's family-his wife Chen Dandan and their newborn
daughter Helen-we extend our deepest and most sincere sympathies,
and we send them our best wishes for the future.

We will remember Yang Xiaoping as a brilliant scholar, and
inspiring teacher, a trusted colleague, and a dear friend. He will live
on in the hearts and minds of those of us who had the privilege of
knowing him. We will all miss him very much.