What would a Zhou Enlai led China entail?

@Meordal, where would Liu Shaoqi be in a Zhou chairmanship?

In 1 word : alive

I decided to kill Mao in 1960, as a solution to save most of the individuals purged or killed due to the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. In OTL, Liu Shaoqi was appointed Chairman (President) of the People's Republic of China, China's de jure head of state, in 1959. It wouldn’t change ITTL, except that he won’t die under harsh treatment and torture in 1969.

I can imagine him getting two presidential mandates until 1969. He would be the third most powerful man in China, behind only Chairman Zhou Enlai and Premier Deng Xiaoping. Then he will stay in the Politburo and support them against the Gang of Four until his death during the 80´s, while pushing for economic and political reforms.

Dual party-national administration is very annoying so many positions to fill. I am still trying to compile a good list of potential chairmen/chairwomen of the People's Republic of China, but don’t worry Liu Shaoqi didn’t die.
 
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Let me have some fun.

Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) 1960-1963:
Zhou Enlai: Chairman of CPC/Premier/Chairman of CPPCC
Liu Shaoqi: President of PRC
Zhu De: Chairman of NPC
Deng Xiaoping: General Secretary of CPC
Chen Yun: Vice Premier
Lin Biao: Minister of Defense

PSC 1963-1968 (Elected at 1963 CPC Congress. Government positions at 1964 NPC):
Zhou Enlai: Chairman of CPC/Premier
Liu Shaoqi: President of PRC
Ye Jianying: Chairman of NPC
Zhu De: Chairman of CPPCC
Deng Xiaoping: General Secretary of CPC
Chen Yun: Vice Premier
Lin Biao: Minister of Defense

Deng is unofficially the second most powerful person in China for these two PSCs

PSC 1968-1973 (Elected at 1968 CPC Congress. Government positions at 1969 NPC):
Zhou Enlai: Chairman of CPC/President of PRC
Deng Xiaoping: Premier
Liu Shaoqi: Chairman of NPC
Ye Jianying: Chairman of CPPCC
Chen Yun: Vice Premier
Li Xiannian: General Secretary of CPC
Chen Yi: Minister of Foreign Affairs (passes away in 1972, replaced by Bo Yibo)

Zhou reaches the peak of his power in 1968. Deng's status as second most powerful person in China cemented.

PSC 1973-1976 (Elected at 1973 CPC Congress. Government positions at 1974 NPC):
Zhou Enlai: Chairman of CPC/President of PRC
Deng Xiaoping: Premier
Liu Shaoqi: Chairman of NPC
Ye Jianying: Chairman of CPPCC
Chen Yun: Vice Premier
Li Xiannian: General Secretary of CPC
Bo Yibo: Minister of Finance

PSC 1976-1978 (Changes following Zhou Enlai's death):
Deng Xiaoping: Chairman of CPC/Premier
Ye Jianying: President of PRC
Chen Yun: Premier
Liu Shaoqi: Chairman of NPC
Li Xiannian: Chairman of CPPCC
Hu Yaobang: General Secretary of CPC
Bo Yibo: Vice Premier

PSC 1978-1983 (Elected at 1978 CPC Congress. Government positions at 1979 NPC):
Deng Xiaoping: Chairman of CPC/President of PRC
Chen Yun: Premier
Li Xiannian: Chairman of NPC
Bo Yibo: Chairman of CPPCC
Hu Yaobang: General Secretary of CPC
Zhao Ziyang: Vice Premier
Li Peng: Minister of Finance

PSC 1983-1988 (Elected at 1983 CPC Congress. Government positions at 1984 NPC):
Deng Xiaoping: Chairman of CPC/President of PRC
Chen Yun: Premier
Li Xiannian: Chairman of NPC
Bo Yibo: Chairman of CPPCC
Hu Yaobang: General Secretary of CPC
Zhao Ziyang: Vice Premier
Li Peng: Minister of Finance

PSC 1988-1992 (Elected at 1988 CPC Congress. Government Positions at 1989 NPC):
Deng Xiaoping: Chairman of CPC/President of PRC
Chen Yun: Premier
Hu Yaobang: Chairman of NPC
Jiang Zemin: Chairman of CPPCC
Zhao Ziyang: General Secretary of CPC
Qiao Shi: Vice Premier
Li Peng: Minister of Finance

PSC 1992-1993 (Post-Deng resignation):
Zhao Ziyang: General Secretary of CPC/Premier
Hu Yaobang: President of PRC
Jiang Zemin: Chairman of NPC
Li Peng: Chairman of CPPCC
Qiao Shi: Vice Premier

And so on...
 
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