Consulate General of the United States, Shanghai
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The Consulate General of the United States in Shanghai is one of the six American diplomatic and consular posts in the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. First established in 1844 following the signing of the
Treaty of Wanghia The Treaty of Wanghia (also known as the Treaty of Wangxia; Treaty of peace, amity, and commerce, between the United States of America and the Chinese Empire; ) was the first of the unequal treaties imposed by the United States on China. As per ...
, the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai had a presence until the conclusion of the
Chinese Communist Revolution The Chinese Communist Revolution, officially known as the Chinese People's War of Liberation in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and also known as the National Protection War against the Communist Rebellion in the Republic of China (ROC ...
and it closed in 1950. It reopened in 1980 at its present location at 1469 Huai Hai Zhong Road (at the corner with Urumqi Road) in an early 20th-century mansion. The Consulate General has two other offices in Shanghai. The Consular Section (American Citizen Services Unit & Nonimmigrant Visa Unit) is located in the Westgate Mall and the Public Affairs Section is located in the Shanghai Centre both on
Nanjing West Road Nanjing Road (; Shanghainese: ''Noecin Lu'') is a road in Shanghai, the eastern part of which is the main shopping district of Shanghai. It is one of the world's busiest shopping streets, along with Fifth Avenue, Oxford Street, Orchard Road, ...
.


History

The history of the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai dates from the earliest days of diplomatic relations between the United States and China. The Consulate General is among the oldest American diplomatic and consular posts in the Far East, and the second oldest in China.


Establishment

The first American consular presence in Shanghai dates to the mid-nineteenth century, following the conclusion of the
Treaty of Wanghia The Treaty of Wanghia (also known as the Treaty of Wangxia; Treaty of peace, amity, and commerce, between the United States of America and the Chinese Empire; ) was the first of the unequal treaties imposed by the United States on China. As per ...
, a treaty of "peace, amity, and commerce", between the United States and the
Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...
in 1844. In the absence of an officially appointed consul, American businessman Henry Wolcott — local agent for a Boston trading company — raised the Stars and Stripes above his company office near
the Bund The Bund or Waitan (, Shanghainese romanization: ''Nga3thae1'', , ) is a waterfront area and a protected historical district in central Shanghai. The area centers on a section of Zhongshan Road (East Zhongshan Road No.1) within the former Shan ...
and became the first Acting U.S. Consul in Shanghai. In 1854, in recognition of growing American trade and interests in the port city, the United States Government appointed Robert Murphy the first professional American Consul in Shanghai. His offices were located on Whangpoo Road (now Huangpu Road), north of Suzhou Creek, in the area that would soon become the hub of Shanghai's American Settlement. As Shanghai's linkages with the West grew, so too did the American Consulate.


Growth in the 19th century

President
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
named George Seward to be
Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...
in 1861 and promoted him to
Consul General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
two years later. He served in that position until 1876 when he was appointed US Minister to China. During his fifteen years in Shanghai, Seward oversaw the expansion of the American Settlement and its merger with the British Settlement and
French Concession The Shanghai French Concession; ; Shanghainese pronunciation: ''Zånhae Fah Tsuka'', group=lower-alpha was a foreign concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1943, which progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ...
, creating a joint International Settlement. (The French left the International Settlement soon after.) In 1874, Seward signed a lease for a consular compound to be built with its main entrance off Woochang Road (now Wuchang Road) and on the banks of the Huangpu River. In 1885, the land was sold and the new owners terminated the lease with effect from 1 February 1889. The consulate moved to new buildings at 12 Kiukiang Road (Jiujiang Road) in what was traditionally considered the British Concession.


Early twentieth century

In 1901, the consulate returned to Hongkew, when Consul General
John Goodnow John Goodnow (June 29, 1858 – December 7, 1907) was a businessman and American diplomat who served for eight years as United States Consul General in Shanghai. Early life Goodnow was born June 29, 1858, in Greensburg, Indiana, the son of Lt ...
agreed a ten-year lease to take over the old Club de Recrio building at 36 Whangpoo Road on a block away from the previous premises leased by Seward. By the early twentieth century, more than 1,500 Americans called Shanghai home. The American community contributed to the economy and life of the city, founding businesses, hospitals, schools, and educational exchanges. In 1911 a lease was signed for the Consulate General to move to six buildings in the Clifton Estate at 13-19 Whangpoo Road to accommodate a quickly growing staff and range of responsibilities. These buildings were occupied by the consulate, prison, post office, and two residences (at nos. 13 and 19). The
United States Court for China The United States Court for China was a United States district court that had extraterritorial jurisdiction over U.S. citizens in China. It existed from 1906 to 1943 and had jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, with appeals taken to the U.S ...
was located across the private road in No. 11. In 1916, Mr
Edward Isaac Ezra Edward Isaac Ezra (3 January 1883 – 15 December 1921) was a wealthy Jewish businessman, who was the first member of the Shanghai Municipal Council who was actually born in China, Robert Bickers and Christian Henriot, ''New Frontiers: Imperialis ...
purchased the buildings with the intent of developing them. The US Consul General, Thomas Sammons contacted Mr Ezra who agreed to sell the premises to the US Government for the same price he had paid for them. These new offices — at a cost of $355,000 (425,000 taels) — were the most expensive U.S. embassy or consulate in the world at that time. The area was 6.258 mow (4172 square metres) and had a 275-foot (25 metres) water frontage. The area came to be known as consular row with - starting from
Garden Bridge The Garden Bridge project was an unsuccessful private proposal for a pedestrian bridge over the River Thames in London, England. Originally an idea of Joanna Lumley, and strongly supported by then-Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the designer Tho ...
- the
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
, American and Japanese consulates all located in a row at the confluence of Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River. In the 1930s, after substantial lobbying, it was decided to re-build the Consulate General. In 1930, the U.S. Consulate General moved south of Suzhou Creek, leaving the old American Settlement for the first time in nearly 30 years. The consulate was first located in the old Kalee Hotel at 248-250 Kiangse Road (now Jiangxi Road). The government offices were located on the Ground Floor and the Consulate and
United States Court for China The United States Court for China was a United States district court that had extraterritorial jurisdiction over U.S. citizens in China. It existed from 1906 to 1943 and had jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, with appeals taken to the U.S ...
on the first floor. The upper floors were used as accommodation for consular staff. The US Marshall also built the consular jail in as part of the new premises. The old Whangpoo Road premises were demolished in 1931 and the original plan was that the consulate would be re-built within a year. However, in 1932, Congress withdrew the appropriations for 1933, leaving the consulate in the old Kalee Hotel building. Appropriations were obtained in 1935 and grand plans for the new consulate announced. These never came to fruition. (The site and the site of the former German Consulate General next door that was demolished in 1937 is now the location of th
Seagull Hotel
which was built in the 1980s). In 1936, following a decision to raze the old Kalee Hotel, the consulate moved to the newly completed Development Building on the southwest corner of Kiangse Road and Foochow Road (now Fuzhou Road). The 4th and 5th Floor were occupied by the consulate, the 6th Floor, by the
United States Court for China The United States Court for China was a United States district court that had extraterritorial jurisdiction over U.S. citizens in China. It existed from 1906 to 1943 and had jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, with appeals taken to the U.S ...
and the
United States Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...
attache, with the 7th Floor having 3 suites for consular officers. Other consular officers moved to residential premises in the rest of Shanghai. By the 1930s, the Consulate General hosted a staff of ten State Department officials, a trade commissioner from the Department of Commerce, and an agent from the Department of Agriculture, as well as the
United States Court for China The United States Court for China was a United States district court that had extraterritorial jurisdiction over U.S. citizens in China. It existed from 1906 to 1943 and had jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, with appeals taken to the U.S ...
, a jail, wharf, post office, and a parade ground for visiting Navy and Marine detachments.


World War II

On 8 December 1941, the United States Consulate was occupied by the Japanese military at the beginning of the Pacific War. The US Consul, Edward Stanton, reported to the State Department: "I have received a formal communication today (Dec 8) from the Japanese Consul General reading as follows: 'I have the honour to inform you that I have been instructed by His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Government to request you that the function of the American Consulate General at Shanghai will be here forth suspended and that the office of the American Consulate General be closed as from today. All the officers of the American Consulate General will be treated in accordance with international law and the principle of reciprocity. The Consul and other staff were
interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...
either at home or in the Metropole Hotel across the road from the consulate for 6 months before being repatriated via
Maputo Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a population of 1,0 ...
, Mozambique. On 7 March 1942, the premises were handed over to the Swiss Consul-General in Shanghai
Emile Fontanel
The Japanese authorities requested the premises be handed over for other uses. Having received permission from the State Department, the 6th and 7th Floors were vacated and all archives and property moved to the 4th and 5th Floors. These floors were subsequently given up and the archives and property moved to other premises. The records were returned at the end of the war.


From World War II to Cold War

On September 5, 1945, less than a month after Japan's surrender, the U.S. Consulate General resumed operations in the old
Glen Line Glen Line was a UK shipping line that was founded in Glasgow in 1867. Its head office was later moved first to London and then to Liverpool. History The firm had its roots in the co-operation between the Gow and McGregor families in Glasgow ...
Building at 28
The Bund The Bund or Waitan (, Shanghainese romanization: ''Nga3thae1'', , ) is a waterfront area and a protected historical district in central Shanghai. The area centers on a section of Zhongshan Road (East Zhongshan Road No.1) within the former Shan ...
. The German Consulate had been located there since 1937 and throughout the war. Post-war Shanghai was a different city; the foreign settlements had been abolished by the Treaty for Relinquishment of Extraterritorial Rights in China and civil war between the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
government and Chinese Communists soon engulfed the country. On May 29, 1949, the People's Liberation Army entered Shanghai. The new Communist government did not recognize the diplomatic status of the consulate staff, and on April 25, 1950, Consul General
Walter McConaughy Walter Patrick McConaughy, Jr. (September 11, 1908 – November 10, 2000) was a career American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to a number of countries. Education McConaughy attended Birmingham–Southern College and Duke University ...
lowered the American flag and closed the consulate. It was not until decades later that formal diplomatic relations between China and the United States were reestablished, and the consulate could reopen.


Rebirth and renewal

Shanghai itself came to symbolize the normalization of Sino-U.S. relations in 1972, with the issuance of the
Shanghai Communiqué The Joint Communiqué of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China, also known as the Shanghai Communiqué (1972), was a diplomatic document issued by the United States of America and the People's Republic of China on Febru ...
. On April 28, 1980, almost exactly 30 years after it closed, the United States Consulate General in Shanghai reopened at its present location at 1469 Central
Huaihai Road Huaihai Road or Huaihai Lu (; Shanghainese: ''Wahae Lu'') is a road in Shanghai, China. The central section of Huaihai Road is one of the two major shopping streets in central Shanghai; the other is Nanjing Road. Compared with the more touristy N ...
(at the corner of Urumqi Road). A member of the old Consulate's Chinese staff later presented Consul General Donald Anderson with the same flag that his predecessor had lowered three decades earlier. It now hangs in the consulate's reception rooms as a symbol of the historic ties between the old Consulate and the new. The current Consulate property was built in 1921. The main house is a villa in the
French Renaissance The French Renaissance was the cultural and artistic movement in France between the 15th and early 17th centuries. The period is associated with the pan-European Renaissance, a word first used by the French historian Jules Michelet to define th ...
style. Prior to the Consulate assuming the lease, the property hosted numerous and varied occupants. The first was Jardine, Matheson and Co., the largest British trading firm in Asia at the time. During World War II, a Japanese businessman and his family, and later the Swiss Consul General, took up residence in the house. In 1946, Rong Hongyuan (Yung Hungyuen), scion of a wealthy textile family, bought the property, but fled Shanghai soon after. Following the establishment of the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the house was used by the
All-China Women's Federation The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF; ) is a women's rights people's organization established in China on 24 March 1949. It was originally called the All-China Democratic Women's Foundation, and was renamed the All-China Women's Federation in ...
, was a center for "political education" during The
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...
, and finally served as a government guesthouse prior to the U.S. Consulate taking the lease. The present Consulate property sits on three acres, and includes several outbuildings, an orange grove, a Chinese rock garden, and a carp pond. Extensive renovations, both to the interior and exterior of the building, were carried out in 1997 and 2003–2005. On April 17, 2003, the consular section of the Consulate moved to the Westgate Mall on West Nanjing Road. All visa interviews and American citizen services were processed there.


Consuls General


Post-1980


James Heller
2020- * Sean B. Stein, 2017-2020
M. Hanscom Smith
2014 - 2017 * Robert Griffiths, 2011–2014

2008-2011
Ken Jarrett
2005–2008 * Doug Spelman, 2002–2005
Henry (Hank) Levine
1999–2002


Joe Borich
1994–1997

1992–1994 * Pat Wardlaw, 1989–1992

1987–1989 * Thomas (Stan) Brooks, 1983–1987
Don Anderson
1980–1983


Pre-1950


Consuls General

* Walter P. McConaughy, 1949-1950 * John M. Cabot, 1948-1949 * Monnett B. Davis, 1946-1947 * Frank P. Lockhart, 1940-1942 * Clarence E. Gauss, 1936-1940 (Later appointed Ambassador to China) * Monnett B. Davis, 1935-1936 * Edwin S. Cunningham, 1920-1935 * Thomas N. Sammons, 1914-1919 * Amos Parker Wilder, 1909-1914 * Charles Denby Jr., 1907-1909 * James Linn Rodgers, 1905–1907 *
John Goodnow John Goodnow (June 29, 1858 – December 7, 1907) was a businessman and American diplomat who served for eight years as United States Consul General in Shanghai. Early life Goodnow was born June 29, 1858, in Greensburg, Indiana, the son of Lt ...
, 1897-1905 *
Thomas R. Jernigan Thomas Roberts Jernigan (1847–1920) was US consul (representative), consul in Kobe, Japan (1885–1889), and later Consulate General of the United States, Shanghai, US consul general in Shanghai, China (1893–1897). After leaving the diplomat ...
, 1894-1897 * Alfred Daniel Jones, 1893-1893 (Died in office)
Joseph A. Leonard
1889-1893 * General
John Doby Kennedy John Doby Kennedy (January 5, 1840 – April 14, 1896) was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, as well as a post-war planter, attorney, politician, and the 57th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina serving ...
, 1886-1889
Enoch J. Smithers
1885–86 * General Julius H. Stahel, 1884–85
Owen N. Denny
1880-1883 * David H. Bailey, 1879-1880 * G. Wiley Wells, 1877-1879
John C. Myers
1876-1877 * George F. Seward, 1863–76 (Promoted to Minister to China)


Consuls

* George F. Seward, 1862-1862
William L.G. Smith
1858-1862 *
George B. Glover George Bunker Glover (traditional Chinese: 吉羅福, simplified Chinese: 吉罗福; 8 Jul 1827 - 4 Oct 1885Robert C. Murphy
ref>See als
Robert Creighton Murphy: U.S. Consul at Shanghai, Brigade Commander, National Scapegoat, 1854-1857, Association for the Preservation of Historic Congressional Cemetery, Fall 2002, Newsletter, p4
/ref> * John N. A. Griswold, 1848-1851
Henry G. Wolcott
1845-1848


See also

* List of diplomatic missions of the United States * U.S. Embassy, Beijing * U.S. Consulate General, Chengdu * U.S. Consulate General, Guangzhou * U.S. Consulate General, Shenyang * U.S. Consulate General, Wuhan *
Americans in China Americans in China ( Chinese: 在華美國人; Pinyin: zài huá měiguó rén) are expatriates and immigrants from the United States as well as their locally born descendants. Estimates range from 72,000 (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) to Estim ...


References


External links


Consulate General of the United States,Shanghai
{{Authority control Diplomatic missions of the United States Diplomatic missions in Shanghai China–United States relations