Joseph I of China (Yin Dynasty)

Joseph I of China (Joseph Yin Jun; born February 19, 1903 - June 30, 1987) was a Chinese lawyer, politician, and statesman who was President of China from 1947 to 1949 and Emperor of China from 1949 until his death in 1987. Yin is the first Roman Catholic Emperor of China.

Yin was born into a wealthy family in Shanghai and raised Catholic and he is descended from the Yin dynasty. He attended Peking University and graduated with a law degree in 1932, becoming a lawyer. In 1940, Yin entered politics and was elected into the National Assembly as a member of the Kuomintang. Yin became disillusioned with the political party due to its corrupt dealings with the Triads, and became one of the 100 Kuomintang members who left the party in 1946 after Chiang Kai-shek turned China into a democracy.

Yin founded the Conservative Democratic Party of China and began a presidential campaign, gaining support from the people of China with his promises of reform. After winning the 1947 election, Yin began a nation-wide anti-corruption campaign that forced many Triad members to flee China. He started making currency out of gold and silver and banned fiat money, raising the morale of the people of China for him. Yin continued the Chinese Civil War and helped defeat Communist-controlled China. His administration oversaw the Shanghai trials which resulted in the execution of 50 Chinese Communists for high treason and corruption charges. Yin was one of the attendees who witnessed Mao Zedong's execution on August 2, 1949.

Yin held a referendum to restore China's monarchy and make himself Emperor of China, during which his people voted in favor of proclaiming him Emperor of China, resulting in the creation of the Chinese Empire on October 1, 1949. Yin took the regnal name, Joseph, and was crowned Emperor by Thomas Tien Ken-sin. His reign in China played a role in the economic and military development of China. During Joseph's state visit in Italy, he had an audience with Pope Pius XII, who validated his claim as Emperor of China. Although Joseph is a Catholic, he promoted religious freedom and encouraged interfaith dialogue between all religions in China.

During the Cold War, Emperor Joseph was compared by Communist propaganda to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte due to the Chinese Emperor's height of 5'5". By 1955, China has become a superpower and its economy continued to flourish under Joseph's reign, which resulted in the people of China hailing him as a hero, earning him the nickname "Renmin de Huangdi", or "The People's Emperor". Joseph is known for his humility and devotion to Jesus Christ despite being worshipped by Confucians and Taoists in accordance with their traditions.

In 1962, Emperor Joseph formed a friendship with U.S. President John F. Kennedy. He sent agents to Dallas, Texas to protect Kennedy from an assassination attempt on November 22, 1963 after receiving information about a plot to assassinate him.

Joseph I died of a heart attack on June 30, 1987 at the Forbidden City in Beijing. He was succeeded by his son, Joseph-Pierre Yin, who became Joseph II.