Chairman Cheng

Chairman Cheng was the leader of the Communist Party of China from at least 2063 until the Great War in 2077.

Background
Under his rule, China clashed with the United States in the Sino-American War, invading Alaska in 2066. Despite initial successes, the Chinese military was forced into a stalemate by the American defenders and eventually beaten back all the way to the Chinese mainland. Despite that, even as late as 2077, Chinese troops continued to fight in Chairman Cheng's name, indicating he held onto power despite the looming defeat.

Appearances
Chairman Cheng is mentioned in Fallout 3, its add-on Operation: Anchorage, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76.

Behind the scenes

 * The name "Cheng", written as 程 can mean either journey, sequence, or regulations.
 * His quotation is most likely an allusion to a quote by Mao Zedong, leader of the People's Republic of China from 1949 to 1976: "We can learn what we did not know. We are not only good at destroying the old world, we are also good at building the new."
 * Cheng's role in the CPC is somewhat unclear, as Chairman can refer to 4 different political bodies (Central Committee, National People's Congress, Political Consultative Conference and Central Military Commission). As Cheng seemed to have been a widely known figure, even in pre-war America, it can be assumed he was either the former or latter of the four, as the acting leader of China or the commander of the People's Liberation Army. He seems to have fulfilled both roles throughout the Fallout series, so it is also highly possible that the Fallout version of the Chairman of the CPC had control over multiple or even all government jurisdictions and could thus act as both head of state and commander-in-chief of the military.
 * The Sierra Depot GNN transcript references a President Xin as the head of state. Additionally, the President in China has always been the second-highest rank in order of the CPC, which makes it odd, that China's head of state would be, or at least referred to, as President, and not the Chairman of the Central Committee. The translation of the Chinese term for the President of the People's Republic of China is 中华人民共和国主席: Chairman of the People's Republic of China (technically, Chairperson). However, the GNN transcript is generally an unreliable source, as it contains several contradictions (such as the length of the Sino-American War) and was further disregarded by Chris Avellone.