Gu Weijun

Gu Weijun

Gu Weijun (January 29, 1888 - November 14, 1985), born in Jiading County, Jiangsu Province (today's Jiading District, Shanghai), was a political figure, social activist and diplomat in modern China. He was the 13th national leader of the Beiyang government.

After returning to China in 1912, he served as secretary to the president of the cabinet, adviser to the Ministry of foreign affairs and member of the constitution Drafting Committee. Since 1915, he has served successively as envoys of the Beiyang Government in Mexico, the United States, Cuba, the United Kingdom, and vice presidents of the International Court of justice in the Hague. In 1919 and 1921, Gu Weijun, as a member of the Chinese delegation, attended the Paris Peace Conference and the Washington Conference, and made contributions to safeguarding the rights and interests of the Chinese nation. In June 1945, he attended the San Francisco Conference, participated in the drafting of the Charter of the United Nations, and represented China in the International Court of justice He signed the Charter of the United Nations and later served as the representative of the Kuomintang government to the United Nations. From 1956 to 1967, he served successively as a judge of the International Court of justice in the Hague and vice president of the International Court of justice. He died on November 14, 1985 at the age of 98.

In the 1980s, after the 12 volumes of Gu Weijun's memoirs were published one after another, there was a wave of upsurge in the study of Gu Weijun in modern historiography circles. When it comes to major diplomatic issues, his memoirs are often quoted.

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Life of the characters

Study experience

Gu Weijun, whose name is Shaochuan, was born in Jiading, Jiangsu Province (now Jiading District, Shanghai) on January 29, 1888 (December 17, the 13th year of Guangxu, Qing Dynasty).

In 1892, he entered an old style private school.

He was admitted to Shanghai Yinghua Academy in 1899.

In 1901, he was admitted to St. John's College in Shanghai.

In 1904, he went to the United States to study with Hubei government funded students led by Shi Zhaoji at his own expense. Study English at cook college in New York.

He was admitted to Columbia University in 1905, majoring in international law and diplomacy.

In 1909, he received both bachelor's and master's degrees. In autumn, I met Sun Yat Sen at Columbia University.

The beginning of diplomacy

In March 1912, he defended his doctoral dissertation with the title "the status of foreigners in China". In April, he returned to Beijing to serve as president Yuan Shikai's English Secretary and Secretary of state premier Tang Shaoyi. In August, he also served as secretary of the Ministry of foreign affairs.

In June 1913, he married Tang Baoyue, the daughter of Tang Shaoyi, in Shanghai. To participate in the Sino British negotiations on Tibet.

In 1914, he was promoted to counsellor of the Ministry of foreign affairs. In the spring of 1915, he participated in the twenty-one negotiation. In July, he was appointed minister to Mexico. In October, he was transferred to the United States.

Gu Dechang, the eldest son, was born in Washington in 1915.

In April 1916, China and the United States signed the "six percent gold coin coupon contract". In November, China and the United States signed the Chicago bank loan contract.

In April 1917, he suggested that the Beijing government follow the United States in the war. In November, a note was sent to the United States on the lanxinshijing agreement.

In October 1918, his wife Tang Baoyue died of illness, leaving a son Gu Dechang and a daughter Gu Juzhen. In December, he was sent to attend the Paris Peace Conference and arrived in Paris.

On January 28, 1919, he spoke on behalf of China at the Paris Peace Conference on the Shandong issue, refuting Japan's request. On June 28, he refused to sign the peace treaty with Germany.

In October 1920, he was transferred to British minister. In November, she married Huang Huilan, the daughter of a wealthy overseas Chinese businessman. In December, he also served as the Chinese representative of the League of nations.

In November 1921, he served as the representative of China to attend the Washington Conference. In December, he negotiated with Japan on the Shandong issue.

In 1922, his second son Gu Yuchang was born in Washington, USA. In order to commemorate China's recovery of Shandong's sovereignty at the Paris peace conference, Gu Weijun nicknamed him "Kaiyuan".

As foreign minister

In February 1922, the Treaty on the settlement of Shandong's outstanding cases and the nine Nation Convention were signed. In August, he served as the foreign minister of Wang Chonghui's cabinet and resigned in November.

In July 1923, he served as the foreign minister of Gao Lingwei's cabinet. Gu Fuchang, his third son, was born in Beijing.

In January 1924, he served as the foreign minister of sun Baoqi's cabinet. In May, on behalf of the Chinese government, China and the Soviet Union signed the "Sino Russian outline agreement on resolving outstanding cases.". In September, he served as the foreign minister of Yan Huiqing's cabinet. In October, he left Beijing after the "Beijing coup".

He lived in Shanghai in 1925.

In May 1926, he served as the chief financial officer of Yan Huiqing's cabinet. In July, Du Xi formed a cabinet and remained as the chief financial officer. In October, acting prime minister and foreign minister. In November, it issued a declaration to terminate the treaty between China and Belgium.

In January 1927, acting prime minister and Minister of foreign affairs. In June, Zhang zuolin organized a military government, and President Gu resigned.

In July 1928, he was wanted by Nanjing National Government and left for Europe.

In 1929, he returned to Shenyang at the invitation of Zhang Xueliang.

In 1930, he traveled between Shenyang and Beijing, providing diplomatic advice to Zhang Xueliang.

In 1931, after the September 18th Incident, he served as a member of the special foreign affairs committee of the Kuomintang. In November, he served as foreign minister of the national government. In December, he resigned as foreign minister.

In March 1932, he served as China's consultant to the Li Dun investigation mission of the League of nations. In April, he accompanied the investigation team to Northeast China to investigate the Japanese imperialist aggression in Northeast China. In August, he was appointed minister to France. In October, he served as China representative of the League of nations.

In May 1933, he served as China's representative to the Geneva Conference on disarmament. In September, he attended the 14th Congress of the League of nations.

In June 1934, he asked for leave to return home.

In 1935, he temporarily lived in China.

In February 1936, Sino French diplomatic relations were upgraded to ambassador to France. In March, together with Li Linyu, Wang Zhengting and others, he was elected as the director of the comrades' Association of the League of nations, China branch of the League of nations.

In September 1937, he called for sanctions against Japanese aggression in the League of nations. In October, he was appointed as China's representative to the Brussels conference.

In early 1938, he negotiated with France about the transit of Chinese arms from Vietnam. In July, he approached us treasury secretary Morgenthau for assistance to China.

In March 1939, he received a telegram from the national government to discuss the cooperation between China, France and Britain with France. In November, China's envoys to Europe were convened to discuss diplomatic policies and suggest that the national government strengthen its diplomacy with the United States.

In June 1940, Paris was occupied by Germany and moved to Vichy with the French government.

In May 1941, he was transferred as ambassador to Britain. In July, he arrived in London.

In the spring of 1942, Britain negotiated a 50 million pound loan to China. In December, he participated in the negotiation of the new treaty between China and Britain, which played an important role in the signing of the treaty. The next year, he joined the Kuomintang.

In March 1943, on her way back to Britain, she arrived in the United States and urged Song Meiling to visit Britain, but failed. In July, Song Ziwen visited Britain to arrange and participate in talks with the British government.

In August 1944, he served as the chief representative of China and went to the United States to attend the Dumbarton Oaks conference to discuss post World War II affairs and prepare for the establishment of the United Nations.

From April to June 1945, he attended the San Francisco Conference, served as China's representative to the San Francisco United Nations constitutional assembly and acting head of the delegation, and was the first to sign the Charter of the United Nations on behalf of China. In December, he served as China's representative to the first UN General Assembly.

Ambassador to the United States

In June 1946, he was transferred as ambassador to the United States. In July, he arrived in Washington.

In May 1947, he asked the US government for a loan of US $1 billion.

In November 1948, he made a request to President Truman for assistance to China. In December, he was declared a war criminal by the Communist Party of China.

In May 1949, he and Hu Shi proposed to Chiang Kai Shek to carry out reform and appoint new people. Later, he persuaded Hu Shi to go out of the mountain and organize a new cabinet composed of students studying in the United States.

In June 1950, when the Korean War broke out, he proposed to Taiwan to deal with Truman's statement.

In June 1951, he declared to US Secretary of State Dulles Taiwan's position on the peace treaty with Japan.

In October 1952, he asked ye Gongchao to resign and was dissuaded.

In March 1953, he asked the United States to conclude a "common defense treaty" between the United States and Taiwan.

In November 1954, he and ye Gongchao negotiated the "common defense treaty" with the United States. On December 2, the treaty was signed.

From January to February 1955, he negotiated with the US government on the withdrawal of Kuomintang troops from Dachen island and the US assistance in defending Kinmen and Matsu.

In February 1956, he submitted his resignation. In April, he was removed from the post of "ambassador" and employed as a senior minister of the "general government".

international judge

In January 1957, he was elected as a judge of the International Court of justice in the Hague by many votes of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.

In 1959, she divorced Huang Huilan. Marry Yan Youyun.

In 1960, he began the work of oral memoir.

In 1964, he was elected vice president of the International Court of justice.

In October 1966, Gu Weijun retired from the International Court of justice in the Hague, which had served for 10 years.

Retirement life

In 1967, he settled in New York and began to retire.

After retirement, he settled in the United States. In September 1972, Zhang Hanzhi, a member of the People's Republic of China delegation to the twenty-seventh session of the UN General Assembly, met with Gu Weijun on Mao Zedong's request and invited him to visit Chinese mainland.

In 1976, the oral memoir was completed and donated to Columbia University.

On November 14, 1985, he died of no illness in his apartment in New York, USA, at the age of 98; Li Luye, then permanent representative of the people's Republic of China to the United Nations, went to the Campbell funeral home on Maxon avenue to express his condolence; Gu Weijun's body was buried in New York's ferncliff cemetery.

Main impact

Attended as a member of the Chinese delegation in 1919 and 1921

Chinese PinYin : Gu Wei Jun1