Very few expatriates in China can say they lived a life like Sidney Shapiro did. An American-born Jewish lawyer and army veteran, Sidney came to China in 1947. He fell in love and stayed in China, ultimately becoming a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Council and one of the few naturalized Chinese citizens.

Sidney died in Beijing a few days ago on October 18, 2014. During his life in China, he was a translator and critic of the Chinese government as he was employed by the state-run Foreign Languages Press. His wife also spent years in detention because she was opposed to one of Mao Zedong’s wives, Jiang Qing.

More information at these links:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Shapiro
• http://www.themalaymailonline.com/read/article/american-born-chinese-author-and-translator-sha-boli-dead-a-98