Xu Shiying (Chinese: 許世英; 10 September 1873 – 13 October 1964, also romanized as Hsu Shih-ing) was a Chinese Kuomintang politician who served as Premier of the Republic of China from 26 December 1925 to 4 March 1926. He is known as a staunch believer in the rule of law and Western-style legal tenets.[1] Xu contributed to the modernization of the judicial system in China and for initiating prison reform during the presidency of Yuan Shikai.[2]

Xu Shiying
許世英
Premier of the Republic of China
In office
26 December 1925 – 4 March 1926
PresidentDuan Qirui
Preceded byHuang Fu (acting)
Succeeded byJia Deyao
Minister of Interior of the Republic of China
In office
30 June 1916 – 12 July 1916
PremierDuan Xirui
Preceded byWang Yitang
Succeeded bySun Hung-yi
Minister of Justice of the Republic of China
In office
29 November 1922 – 4 January 1923
PremierWang Daxie
Wang Zhengting
Preceded byXu Qian
Succeeded byWang Zhengting
In office
26 July 1912 – 4 September 1913
PremierLu Zhengxiang
Zhao Bingjun
Duan Qirui (acting)
Xiong Xiling
Preceded byWang Chonghui
Succeeded byWang Shitong (acting)
Liang Qichao
Personal details
Born(1873-09-10)10 September 1873
Guichi District, Qing dynasty
Died13 October 1964(1964-10-13) (aged 91)
Taipei, Taiwan
NationalityRepublic of China
Political partyKuomintang

Biography

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Xu was born on 10 September 1873, in Guichi, in the eastern Anhui province. He began his career at the Law Compilation Bureau, in the Board of Justice in 1897.[2] After a year, he was appointed to the Board of Punishments. By the age of 25, he was made a Senior Licentiate of the Qing dynasty.

Xu followed his mentor, Shen Jiaben to Taiwan during the Qing government in exile. In 1900, they went back to China where Xu was tasked to head an Outer Beijing city police supervision of infrastructure projects.[3]

In 1908, he was promoted as the associate chief of the high court of justice in the province of Fengtian. Two years later, he was part of the delegation sent to inspect the judicial systems in Europe. He also led the first formal Qing delegation that attended the Eighth International Prison Congress in Washington, D.C.[3] As part of the government's drive to build a modern judicial system, he was appointed Minister of Justice in 1912.[2]

Among Xu's career highlights include his appointment as minister of the interior in 1916; and his appointment, in 1924, to chief secretary of Marshal Duan Qirui, who was head of the Provisional Government of China.[4] Xu was later the Chinese ambassador to Japan, and the chairman of a Chinese delegation for peace negotiations with KMT China.[5]

Xu died in Taipei, Taiwan.

References

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  1. ^ Li, Xiaobing; Fang, Qiang (2013). Modern Chinese Legal Reform: New Perspectives. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-8131-4120-6.
  2. ^ a b c Dikötter, Frank (2002). Crime, Punishment and the Prison in Mode. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. p. 64. ISBN 962-209-565-8.
  3. ^ a b Kiely, Jan (2014). The Compelling Ideal: Thought Reform and the Prison in China, 1901-1956. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-300-18594-2.
  4. ^ "Hsu Shih-ying (Xu Shiying) 許世英 | The China Story". www.thechinastory.org. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  5. ^ Kataoka, Tetsuya (1 January 1974). Resistance and Revolution in China: The Communists and the Second United Front. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520025530.
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