Cai Pei (;

Hepburn Hepburn may refer to: Surname People with the surname Hepburn (the most famous in recent times being actresses Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn): * Hepburn (surname) Linguistics * Hepburn romanization, a system for the romanization of Japa ...

: Sai Bai; 1884–1960) was a diplomat and politician in the pre- World War II

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

. He held a number of important posts during the collaborationist Reorganized National Government of China, and successively held the positions of Mayor of Nanjing Special City and Ambassador to Japan. His courtesy name was Ziping ().

Biography

Cai Pei was born in Wuxi,

Jiangsu Province Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...

. He went to study to Japan and graduated from the Department of Law of Waseda University. After his return to China, together with

Liu Yazi Liu Yazi (, 28 May 1887, at Wujiang, in Suzhou, Jiangsu – 21 June 1958 in Beijing) was a Chinese poet and political activist called the "last outstanding poet of the traditional school." He married Zheng Peiyi in 1906, and was the father o ...

he helped establish the literary and poetry society ''Nanshe''. He also was elected Member of the

Legislative Yuan The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for 4-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a parallel v ...

. In January 1928 Cai was appointed legislative secretary of the Ministry for Transportation under the Nationalist Government. In January 1930 he was promoted to Chief of the Aviation Bureau of the Ministry for Transportation. In 1935 he was transferred to the position of Chief of the Civil Administration Bureau of the Ministry of the Interior. In March 1940, when the Reorganized National Government of China led by Wang Jingwei was established, Cai Pei was appointed Policy Affairs Vice-Minister for Commerce and Industry. In June he accepted the post of Mayor of Nanjing Special City. In December he assumed the office of Chairman of the Rationing Management Commission. Afterwards he served in the Political Affairs Committee of the

Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Its leader is the Premier, who is appointed by the President of the Republic of China, and requires confirmation by the Legislative Yuan. ...

. In March 1943 he was appointed Ambassador to the Empire of Japan. After his return to Nanjing in May 1945, he was appointed a Member of the National Government. After the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...

and collapse of the collaborationist Reorganized National Government of China, Cai Pei was arrested as a ''

hanjian In Chinese culture, the word ''hanjian'' () is a pejorative term for a traitor to the Han Chinese state and, to a lesser extent, Han ethnicity. The word ''hanjian'' is distinct from the general word for traitor, which could be used for any cou ...

'' on orders of

Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...

's National Government in September 1945. The following July he was charged with promoting "Sino-Japanese friendship" and sentenced to death by the Shanghai High Court. After appealing to the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in November 1947. Cai Pei served his sentence in Shanghai at the Tilanqiao Prison. After the People's Republic of China was established, his situation remained unchanged. In August 1956, following deterioration in his health condition, he was allowed to receive medical treatment. Cai Pei died in prison in 1960.

References

* * ''History of Prison in Shanghai'' ()
The Office of Shanghai’s History (上海地方志办公室) Website * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cai Pei 1884 births 1960 deaths Waseda University alumni Politicians from Wuxi Republic of China politicians from Jiangsu Mayors of Nanjing Ambassadors of China to Japan Chinese collaborators with Imperial Japan Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China Prisoners who died in Chinese detention