Mao Zedong's colleague Zhou Enlai, also known as CHOU En-Lai, was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and the first Premier of the People's Republic of China. He served in this role from 1949 until his death in 1976. He was an important figure in the Chinese Revolution and was instrumental in the formation of the People's Republic of China. He was also a key negotiator in the Korean War armistice and the Sino-Indian border dispute. Zhou Enlai was a close ally of Mao Zedong and was one of the most influential figures in the Chinese Communist Party.