Cheng (Chairman)

Mentioned-only character
Chairman Cheng
Propaganda depiction of Chairman Cheng from the Wastelad video game
Lore
Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	People's Republic of China People's Liberation Army
Role	Chairman of the People's Republic of China
Family	Irving Cheng - self-proclaimed descendant
Mentioned in	Fallout 3 Operation: Anchorage Fallout 4 Fallout 76

“We excel at destroying the old world, and we excel at building a new one.”— Entry in Irving Cheng's terminal at Tenpenny Tower, Fallout 3

Chairman Cheng (程) was the leader of China from at least 2063 until the Great War in 2077.

Background

Under his leadership, China clashed with the United States in the Resource Wars, invading Alaska in 2066. His main goal, as hypothetically given by operatives of the Defense Intelligence Agency, was simply that of conquest, foregoing logical conclusions. 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.

Notes

• A distinctive facial hairstyle that can be chosen for the player character in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas is also named after him. This facial hairstyle includes a small beard and a mustache resembling the Fu Manchu mustache that was stereotypically used to portray Chinese villains. In the video game Wastelad, playable within Fallout 76, a pixelized propaganda caricature of Chairman Cheng depicts him with the mustache, but no beard.
• Cheng is mentioned by name in a press release as being portrayed in the comic book series Hell's Chain Gang, published by Hubris Comics. Within the series, there is an organization known as "Chairman Cheng's Commie Cyborg Corps."
• Irving Cheng at Tenpenny Tower claims that he is descended from Chairman Cheng.
• In Fallout 3's Operation: Anchorage add-on, Chinese soldiers in the Anchorage Reclamation simulation will sometimes exclaim "For Chairman Cheng!" during battle.

Appearances

Chairman Cheng is mentioned in Fallout 3, the Fallout 3 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.
• The quotation "We excel at destroying the old world, and we excel at building a new one" 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 exact position in the Chinese government is unclear. "Chairman" can refer to 3 different positions within the Chinese Communist Party: Chairman of the Central Committee (replaced by the position of General Secretary in 1982), Chairman of the Political Consultative Conference, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, as well as the governmental position of Chairman of the National People's Congress. These positions can also overlap; for example, Mao Zedong was chairman of both the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission.
• In Fallout 2, the pre-War Chinese head of state is said to have been one "President Xin." While the president of China typically holds one or more party chairman positions, it is not a requirement of the office (for example, Yang Shangkun was only Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission during his presidential term). As the position is largely ceremonial and subservient to the National People's Congress, a president that does not hold a party chairman position may possess limited authority in state matters, leaving the possibility that Xin shared power with (or was subservient to) Cheng. However, Xin is only mentioned in the Sierra Depot GNN transcript, which is an unreliable source.