Alfred Sao-ke Sze

Alfred Sao-ke Sze

Dr. Alfred Sao-ke Sze (Chinese: 施肇基; pinyin: Shī Zhàojī; Wade–Giles: Shih Chao-chi; 1877–1958) was a prominent Chinese politician and diplomat during the most turbulent period in modern Chinese history.

Early life

Sze was born on April 10, 1877. He became the first Chinese student to graduate from Cornell University in 1901.^[1] He returned to China to work for the Peking government.

Career

Dr. Sze, along with Foreign Minister W.W. Yen, C.T. Wang and Wellington Koo, was part of a Chinese delegation which traveled to the United States in the fall of 1921 to negotiate with the U.S. to impose a limitation of armaments on Japan and to de-escalate tensions over Japan's aggressive, expansionist activities in Shantung.

From 1921-1929, Sze was head of the Chinese legation to the U.S., representing the Peking Government and securing U.S. support to contain Japanese aggression in northern China.^[2] In January 1923, President Li Yuan-hung nominated Sze for the office of foreign minister, but of all the Cabinet nominations, Sze's alone was rejected by the legislature. In November 1928, Sze was appointed minister to Britain and delegate to the League of Nations. He was replaced in the legation to the U.S. by Dr. C.C. Wu.

In 1931, he was tapped as foreign minister again, but declined. At the time, he was actively representing the Republic of China at the League of Nations, denouncing Japanese military aggression in Manchuria and demanding the League's intervention. He warned the League that if it failed to act, China would have no choice but to re-arm. The League failed to act, so in December 1931, he offered his resignation. His offer was declined and he remained at post.

In January 1933, he was designated minister to the United States once again. He presented his credentials in February 1933. In July 1935, after the United States and the Republic of China agreed to raise their diplomatic missions from legations to embassies, Sze became the first Chinese ambassador to the United States. He was succeeded by C.T. Wang in 1937.

Dr. Sze was a founding member of to the World Bank and was a member of the Advisory Council of the World Bank from 1947 to 1950.^[3]

Family

Dr. Sze had been married to Yu-hua "Alice" Tang. Tang's mother had been a lady in waiting to the Dowager Empress Cixi, her uncle was prime minister Tang Shaoyi and her cousin Tang Pao-yu was the wife of Wellington Koo.

Alfred’s Sze’s elder brother, Shi Sao (aka Chao) Tseng (施肇曾 Pinyin: Shī Zhàozēng), born 1868, was also a prominent official and served as a diplomat in USA 1893-1897. Upon returning to China he held several senior railway posts including Director-General of Lunghai Railways 1913-1922.

Alfred Sze had two sons and four daughters. Dr. Szeming Sze, was medical director of the United Nations from 1955-1968. Deson C Sze was a banker and also served as a private secretary to T.V. Soong. Mai-mai Sze was an accomplished painter, author and model. Julia Sze-Bailey and Alice Wang, lived in Manhattan and Boston, respectively.

Death

Dr. Sze died on January 3, 1958 at the age of 80.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alfred Sao-ke Sze.

Numerous articles in the New York Times.

China's Ambassadors to the U.S. Qing ministers to the U.S. 1875–1912 Chen Lanbin 1875–81 Zheng Zaoru 1881–85 Zhang Yinheng 1885–89 Cui Guoyin 1889–93 Yang Ru 1893–96 Wu Tingfang 1896–1902 Liang Cheng 1902–07 Wu Tingfang 1907–09 Zhang Yintang 1909–11 Alfred Sao-ke Sze 1911–12 ROC's envoys to the U.S. 1912–35 Zhang Yintang 1912–13 Xia Xiefu 1913–15 V. K. Wellington Koo 1915–20 Alfred Sao-ke Sze 1920–29 Wu Chaoshu 1929–31 Yan Huiqing 1931–33 Alfred Sao-ke Sze 1933–35 ROC's ambassadors to the U.S. 1935–79 Alfred Sao-ke Sze 1935–36 Wang Zhengting 1936–38 Hu Shih 1938–42 Wei Tao-ming 1942–46 V. K. Wellington Koo 1946–56 Hollington Tong 1956–58 George Yeh 1958–61 Tsiang Tingfu 1961–65 Zhou Shukai 1965–71 James Shen 1971–79 Taiwanese representatives to the U.S. 1979–present Xia Gongquan 1979–81 Cai Weiping 1981–82 Frederick Chien 1982–88 Ding Maoshi 1988–94 Lu Zhaozhong 1994–96 Jason Hu 1996–97 Chen Xifan 1997–2000 Cheng Jianren 2000–04 David Lee 2004–07 Joseph Wu 2007–08 Jason Yuan 2008–12 King Pu-tsung 2012–14 Shen Lyu-shun 2014– Chiefs of the PRC Liaison Office in the U.S. 1973–79 Huang Zhen 1973–77 Chai Zemin 1978–79 PRC's ambassadors to the U.S. 1979–present Chai Zemin 1979–82 Zhang Wenjin 1983–85 Han Xu 1985–89 Zhu Qizhen 1989–93 Li Daoyu 1993–98 Li Zhaoxing 1998–2001 Yang Jiechi 2001–05 Zhou Wenzhong 2005–10 Zhang Yesui 2010–13 Cui Tiankai 2013–present