Xia Qifeng

Xia Qifeng (; 1888 – September 12, 1961) was a politician, diplomat and journalist in the Chinese Republic. He engaged in foreign affairs in the Beiyang Government and the Nationalist Government. In the end, he became an important politician during the Reformed Government of the Republic of China and the Reorganized National Government of China (Republic of China-Nanjing). His former name was Yun (). He was born in Taizhou, Jiangsu.

Biography

In 1911 Xia Qifeng graduated from the Nanhui Middle School, and entered the Jiangsu High School (). Having graduated from this High school in 1914, he went to France two year later in "Diligent work and Economical study" (). Until 1919 he engaged in translation.

Later he returned to China, was appointed labor and diplomatic editor of the ''Eastern Times'' in 1919 and assisted in the organization of the Returned Chinese Laborers Association, whose president he became. In 1921 Xia Qifeng went to Europe again as special correspondent for ''Eastern Times'' in France (Paris) and Switzerland. He also became unofficial publicity agent for the Chinese delegation to the League of Nations at Geneva 1923-28. In 1923 he was appointed a clerical employee of the League of Nations Secretariat. In 1928 he returned to China, and became a reporter of ''Daily Revolution ()''. From 1932 until 1934, he worked as a member of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' Treaty Commission in the Nationalist Government.

In March 1938 Liang Hongzhi established the Reformed Government of the Republic of China. Xia Qifeng also participated in it, and was appointed Vice-Minister for the Interior. In September 1938 the Reformed Government and the Provisional Government of the Republic of China organized the United Council of the Republic of China (), Xia was appointed Deputy Manager of the General Office.Xu (main ed.), ''op. cit.'' Committee for Problems of East Asia, ''op. cit.'' wrote "the Manager of the General Office". In August 1939 he was appointed acting Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Reformed Government.

After the Wang Jingwei regime was established in March 1940, Xia Qifeng was appointed Chief of the Auditing Bureau of the Control Yuan (). In December he was elected Central Executive Member of the Kuomintang (Wang's clique). He also held the positions of Member of the Committee for requisitioning French settlement in April 1943, and Member of the Committee for abolition of extraterritorial rights in January 1945.

After the Wang Jingwei regime had collapsed, Xia Qifeng was arrested by Chiang Kai-shek's National Government in Shanghai. He was convicted of treason and surrender to the enemy (namely Hanjian) and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Suzhou High Court in October 1945. He was served his sentence in Shanghai. After the People's Republic of China had been established, his treatment did not change.

Xia Qifeng died in prison on September 12, 1961.

Works

In 1931 Xia Qifeng and Li Shi () translated Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi's ''Pan-europa'' (Chinese Title was ), and published from ''Dadong Shuju'' () in Shanghai.

Notes

References

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''History of Prison in Shanghai'' ()
The Office of Shanghai's　History (上海地方志办公室) Website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Xia, Qifeng
1888 births
1961 deaths
Chinese collaborators with Imperial Japan
Foreign Ministers of the Republic of China
Politicians from Taizhou, Jiangsu
Republic of China journalists
Republic of China politicians from Jiangsu
Writers from Taizhou, Jiangsu
Prisoners who died in Chinese detention