Chen Wei-ping ( zh, 陳維屏), also known as W.P. Chen or Wei-ping Chen (July 30, 1876 – February 23, 1972), was a Chinese diplomat.

Early life

He studied at Peking Methodist University,

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (abbrevriated OWU) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Ohio Valley, Centra ...

, the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

and the

University of Boston Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

. He returned to China in 1916 and became involved with the Chinese Christian press and organisations.

Career

He served as

Consul General A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

of the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

in Australia from 1931 to 1935, when China did not have an ambassador to Australia. He was succeeded by Pao Chun-jien. As consul, he sought to increase Chinese exports to Australia and to warn Australians about Japan's increasing militarism and aggression, including publishing books and pamphlets. He sought concessions surrounding the White Australia policy. He sought to allow Chinese immigrants to return to China and be replaced by a relative to continue operating their business. A history of the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...

Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...

concluded that Chen "received a great deal of criticism from the community, as he was seen as being more concerned with (Kuomintang) party affairs than with improving the status of the Chinese in Australia." He gave the inaugural George Ernest Morrison Lecture in Ethnology at

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...

(expressing the "earnest hope that the Australian people will extend to my countrymen sympathy and trust and that the great nation of China may be united with the great Anglo-Saxon race to preserve the peace of the world.").

Later years

He went to Taiwan in 1949, where he served as the chaplain for the Republic of China Armed Forces. He often visited the United States at the invitation of various church groups there, giving lectures throughout the country. In later life, Chen became known as pastor of Shih-Ling Church near

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

, where Chiang Kai-shek and his family attended services, as they had in

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

where he was their personal minister. He died in Taipei in 1972.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, W. P. Chinese diplomats 1876 births 1972 deaths