Michael Shapiro (journalist)

Michael (Mendel) Shapiro (February 28, 1910 – September 29, 1986) was a Ukrainian-born British journalist and outspoken communist. In the late 1930s and during the 1940s he was active in tenants’ rights activities and became a Stepney councilor. He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) in 1934 and in 1949 was sent to China. He became one of the Western long-term residents in Beijing, was involved in training journalists in the Xinhua News Agency and worked with the teams that translated Chairman Mao's works. Although he spent 5 years in Qincheng Prison during the Cultural Revolution he remained committed to the communist cause and after his release he spent the rest of his life in China.