Death of Alain Roux (1935–2026)

Alain Roux had been a lecturer in the history of contemporary China at INALCO since 1997. Alongside Laurent Galy, he developed research into social and political history within the Centre for Chinese Studies. A prolific author, he took a particular interest in the Chinese working class in the 20th century, to which he devoted his doctoral thesis (“Workers of Shanghai, 1947–1949”) defended in 1991 at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, as well as to the Chinese political elites in Republican China. In addition to co-editing, with Yves Chevrier and Xiaohong Xiao-Planes, Citizens and Urban Dwellers in 20th-Century China. Essai d’histoire sociale (Éd. de la Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, 2010) in tribute to Marie-Claire Bergère, he published three landmark biographies: Qu Qiubai (1899–1935). ‘Too Many Words’ (Duoyu de hua). The Autobiography of a Committed Chinese Intellectual (Peeters, 2005) in collaboration with Wang Xiaoling, The Monkey and the Tiger: Mao, a Chinese Destiny (Larousse, 2009) and Chiang Kai-shek. Mao’s Great Rival (Payot, 2016). Alain Roux is also known for his history textbooks, which have been used by generations of students: China in the 20th century (Armand Colin, 1988, 6th ed., 2015) and History of the People’s Republic of China, from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping (Armand Colin, 2018, 2^nd ed., 2024) co-authored with Xiaohong Xiao-Planes.

With this message, we wish to pay tribute to him today. Our thoughts are with his loved ones and all those who knew him.