The first Chinese diplomats in Occident
Journal Title: Revista Romana de Studii Eurasiatice - Year 2006, Vol 2, Issue 1
Abstract
The article presents the biographies of the first two Chinese diplomats who opened up China’s path of modern diplomacy, after a rather brutal start in the first half of the XIX Century of the relation with Western countries following the opium trade and military conflicts and signing of unqual treaties. Guo Songdao (1818-1891) was the first Chinese dignitary designated in 1876 to represent the Qing imperial court in great Britain and subsequently in France. In January 1877, he presented his credentials to Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Being one of China’s most outstanding poet and intellectual Guo Songdao took his new assignment with a sense of high responsability, proving much competence. He approached the new living conditions with understanding trying to integrate in it, he was ready to accept all the new information he get daily and was able to select from them those which he considered useful for his country’s modernnization. He provided Zongli Yamen with a wealth of information and formulated a large number of proposals to be adopted by the Chinese government such as: opening consulates in countries where Chinese citizens lived in large number, like USA and the British colonies, in order to protect their interests; translating laws and regulations in force in foreign countries; participating in international conferences treating problems of interest for China etc. He learned very quickly how to use the conditions (laws, justice, mass media, personal contacts etc.) offered by modern states like Britain and France to protect his contry’s and its citizens’ interests. His activity much appreciated by the Empress dowager Cixi and other open minded officials of the Court, as well as by foreign personalities was unfortunately undermined by elements of the conservative forces and in 1879 he presented his resignation. He died broken hearted in 1891. His biography was included in the volume Biographies of the 100 patriots of China.
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ANNA EVA BUDURA
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