In November 1927 he served as director of the organization bureau of the CPC Central Committee in charge of military affairs. In June 1928 he served as member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Sixth CPC Central Committee, head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee and secretly led the Party Central Committee in Shanghai. In December 1931 he went to the Central Revolutionary Base Area in Jiangxi and served as secretary of the Soviet Area Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, general political commissar of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the First Front Army and vice-chairman of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission of the Chinese Soviet Republic. In October 1934 he took part in the Long March. In January 1935 he attended the Zunyi Meeting and firmly supported Mao Zedong's correct views. After the meeting, he, Mao Zedong and Wang Jiaxiang formed the Group of Three to take charge of military operations. After the Xi'an Incident occurred in December 1936, as a chief representative of the CPC he went to Xi'an to facilitate the peaceful settlement of the incident. From February to September 1937, as a chief representative of the CPC he held negotiations on stopping the civil war and uniting to resist Japan with the KMT. In August of the same year, he was elected vice-chairman of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee at the meeting held in Luochuan. Afterwards, he served as deputy secretary of the Changjiang Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of its Southern Bureau and was engaged in the anti-Japanese national united front in KMT-ruled Wuhan, Chongqing and other cities. He served as deputy head of the Political Department of the Military Commission of the KMT government. In June 1945 he served as member of the Seventh CPC Central Committee, member of its Political Bureau and its Secretariat and vice-chairman of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee. In August 1945 he went to Chongqing with Mao Zedong to hold negotiations with the KMT. Afterwards, he headed the CPC delegation to hold negotiations with the KMT and joined the Group of Three for Military Mediation as the CPC representative. In November 1946 the civil war broke out. He returned to Yan'an and took part in leading the People's Liberation War. From March 1947, he, Mao Zedong and Ren Bishi fought in northern Shaanxi. In August of the same year, he served as acting chief of the general staff of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee. In April 1949 he held peace negotiations with KMT representatives as the chief CPC representative. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as Premier of the Government Administration Council (now called the State Council), Minister of Foreign Affairs, vice-chairman of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee and the People's Revolutionary Military Commission and vice-chairman of the First CPPCC National Committee. From December 1954 to January 1976, he served as Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee. At the First Plenary Session of the Ninth CPC Central Committee held in September 1956, he was elected member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. At the First Plenary Session of the Tenth CPC Central Committee held in August 1973, he was elected member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice-Chairman of the CPC Central Committee. His major works are included in the Selected Works of Zhou Enlai.

(Source: China.org.cn)