Wang Ch'ung-hui
Encyclopedia
Wang, Ch'ung-hui was a prominent Chinese jurist, diplomat and politician who served the Republic of China
from its foundation in 1912 until his death in 1958. He was a close associate of the republic's founding father, Dr. Sun Yat-sen
, an active member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang
), and a judge on the Permanent Court for International Justice in the Hage.
Wang was born in Kwangtung
in 1881 and was educated in China, Japan, England, Germany and the United States. He returned to China from London in the autumn of 1911, and when the anti-Manchu revolution of October 10 began, he became adviser to Ch'en Qi-mei, the revolutionary military governor of Shanghai
. He represented Kwangtung at the Nanking convention which elected Dr. Sun Yat-sen
provisional president of the Republic of China
.
In 1912, Wang was designated first minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of China
. After the rise of Yuan Shih-k'ai, Wang was named minister of justice in the cabinet of T'ang Shao-yi
. He participated in drafting the republic's provisional constitution of 1912. Tang resigned in June 1912, and a month later Wang did the same. He moved to Shanghai
and assumed the roles of vice-chancellor of Futan University
and chief editor of the Chunghua Book Company.
Though he stayed out of some major political events during the early anti-Yuan era, in May 1916 he became deputy commissioner for foreign affairs of the military council in Canton
, headed by Liang Ch'i-ch'ao
and Ts'ai O
.
Wang served as chief justice of the Chinese supreme court in 1920 and justice minister of the "Peking" or "northern" government of Li Yuan-hung in June 1922. He briefly served as acting prime minister from September to November 1922. It was amid continued political power struggles and warlord rivalries that Wang gladly accepted an appointment as deputy judge of the Permanent Court of International Justice in the Hage from 1923–1925.
Wang returned to Peking in 1925. In 1926, he was elected to the Central Supervisory Committee of the northern government and he also briefly served as minister of education under prime minister W.W. Yen. In mid-1927, he left Peking and joined Chiang Kai-shek
's Nanking government, serving as justice minister. He was fundamental in formulating the principles underlying the Republic of China
's criminal and civil codes. When the Judicial Yuan was created in 1928, Wang was its first president. He retained that post, and became member of the State Council, from 1928–31. During these years, he worked to rid China of the extraterritoriality imposed by European powers and Japan. A loyal follower of Sun Yat-sen
, Wang also worked to move China into the "political tutelage" phase of the revolution which would pave the way for China to become a constitutional democracy.
In 1930, Wang was elected judge on the Permanent Court of International Justice, but he delayed his acceptance as he was guiding the process of drawing up the provisional constitution of 1931. He assumed his post in the Hague in 1931, and served out his term until 1936. He returned to China that year and was seen as a moderating influence in Nanking during the Sian Incident in December of that year.
Wang Ch'ung-hui served as foreign minister from March 1937 - April 1941, a painful time during which Japanese invasion would kill millions of Chinese civilians and force the ROC government to relocate from Nanking to a provisional capital in Chungking. On August 21, 1937, he signed the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact with Soviet foreign minister Bogomoloff. This guaranteed the Soviet Union's financial support to the Kuomintang
government, though they continued supporting Communist insurgents too.
In 1942, Wang became secretary general of the Chinese Supreme Defense Council. In this capacity, he accompanied President Chiang Kai-shek
to India in 1942 and the Cairo Conference in 1943. In 1943, he also began serving on the People's Political Council.
Dr. Wang was a member of the Chinese delegation to the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945. Upon his return to China, he served as director of the Far Eastern Branch Committee of the Commission for the Investigation of Pacific War Crimes. Wang then worked on the framing of the Republic of China
's constitution, which was promulgated on January 1, 1947. In 1948, he was elected member of the Academia Sinica
and once again became minister of justice. As mainland China fell to Communist insurgency in 1949, Wang relocated to Taipei
.
Upon his resettlement in Taiwan, Wang served on the Kuomintang
's Central Reform Committee and its successor, the Central Advisory Committee. He continued to serve as president of the Judicial Yuan until his death on March 15, 1958. He was survived by his wife and a son, named Ta-hung.
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
from its foundation in 1912 until his death in 1958. He was a close associate of the republic's founding father, Dr. Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, an active member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
), and a judge on the Permanent Court for International Justice in the Hage.
Wang was born in Kwangtung
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
in 1881 and was educated in China, Japan, England, Germany and the United States. He returned to China from London in the autumn of 1911, and when the anti-Manchu revolution of October 10 began, he became adviser to Ch'en Qi-mei, the revolutionary military governor of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. He represented Kwangtung at the Nanking convention which elected Dr. Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
provisional president of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
.
In 1912, Wang was designated first minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. After the rise of Yuan Shih-k'ai, Wang was named minister of justice in the cabinet of T'ang Shao-yi
Tang Shaoyi
Táng Shàoyí , was a Chinese diplomat, politician. He was the father-in-law of Wellington Koo and Lee Seng Gee.-Career:...
. He participated in drafting the republic's provisional constitution of 1912. Tang resigned in June 1912, and a month later Wang did the same. He moved to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and assumed the roles of vice-chancellor of Futan University
Fudan University
Fudan University , located in Shanghai, is one of the oldest and most selective universities in China, and is a member of the C9 League. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty...
and chief editor of the Chunghua Book Company.
Though he stayed out of some major political events during the early anti-Yuan era, in May 1916 he became deputy commissioner for foreign affairs of the military council in Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, headed by Liang Ch'i-ch'ao
Liang Qichao
Liang Qichao |Styled]] Zhuoru, ; Pseudonym: Rengong) was a Chinese scholar, journalist, philosopher and reformist during the Qing Dynasty , who inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements...
and Ts'ai O
Cai E
Cai E or Tsai Ao was a Chinese revolutionary leader and warlord. He was born Cai Genyin in Shaoyang, Hunan, and his courtesy name was Songpo...
.
Wang served as chief justice of the Chinese supreme court in 1920 and justice minister of the "Peking" or "northern" government of Li Yuan-hung in June 1922. He briefly served as acting prime minister from September to November 1922. It was amid continued political power struggles and warlord rivalries that Wang gladly accepted an appointment as deputy judge of the Permanent Court of International Justice in the Hage from 1923–1925.
Wang returned to Peking in 1925. In 1926, he was elected to the Central Supervisory Committee of the northern government and he also briefly served as minister of education under prime minister W.W. Yen. In mid-1927, he left Peking and joined Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
's Nanking government, serving as justice minister. He was fundamental in formulating the principles underlying the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
's criminal and civil codes. When the Judicial Yuan was created in 1928, Wang was its first president. He retained that post, and became member of the State Council, from 1928–31. During these years, he worked to rid China of the extraterritoriality imposed by European powers and Japan. A loyal follower of Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, Wang also worked to move China into the "political tutelage" phase of the revolution which would pave the way for China to become a constitutional democracy.
In 1930, Wang was elected judge on the Permanent Court of International Justice, but he delayed his acceptance as he was guiding the process of drawing up the provisional constitution of 1931. He assumed his post in the Hague in 1931, and served out his term until 1936. He returned to China that year and was seen as a moderating influence in Nanking during the Sian Incident in December of that year.
Wang Ch'ung-hui served as foreign minister from March 1937 - April 1941, a painful time during which Japanese invasion would kill millions of Chinese civilians and force the ROC government to relocate from Nanking to a provisional capital in Chungking. On August 21, 1937, he signed the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact with Soviet foreign minister Bogomoloff. This guaranteed the Soviet Union's financial support to the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
government, though they continued supporting Communist insurgents too.
In 1942, Wang became secretary general of the Chinese Supreme Defense Council. In this capacity, he accompanied President Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
to India in 1942 and the Cairo Conference in 1943. In 1943, he also began serving on the People's Political Council.
Dr. Wang was a member of the Chinese delegation to the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945. Upon his return to China, he served as director of the Far Eastern Branch Committee of the Commission for the Investigation of Pacific War Crimes. Wang then worked on the framing of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
's constitution, which was promulgated on January 1, 1947. In 1948, he was elected member of the Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica
The Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
and once again became minister of justice. As mainland China fell to Communist insurgency in 1949, Wang relocated to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
.
Upon his resettlement in Taiwan, Wang served on the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
's Central Reform Committee and its successor, the Central Advisory Committee. He continued to serve as president of the Judicial Yuan until his death on March 15, 1958. He was survived by his wife and a son, named Ta-hung.