Xu Shiying (; September 10, 1873 – October 13, 1964, also romanized as Hsu Shih-ing) was a Chinese

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 Ta ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...

who served as

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

of the

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 northeas ...

from December 26, 1925, to March 4, 1926. He is known as a staunch believer in the rule of law and Western-style legal tenets. Xu contributed to the modernization of the

judicial system The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

in China and for initiating prison reform during the presidency of

Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty and eventually ended the Qing dynasty rule of China in 1912, later becoming the Emperor of China. H ...

Biography

Xu was born on September 10, 1873, in Guichi (Kweichih), Anhwei province. He began his career at the Law Compilation Bureau, in the Board of Justice in 1897. 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 Shen Jiaben (, 1840 – 1913), alias Jiyi (), was a Late Qing Chinese politician and jurist from Huzhou, Zhejiang province. Shen became a jinshi in 1883. He had been once the Prefect of Tianjin during 1893–7, then the Vice Minister of Ju ...

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. In 1908, he was promoted as the associate chief of the high court of justice in the province of

Fengtian Fengtian (; postal: Fengtien; Manchu: ''Abkai imiyangga fu'') is: * Shenyang, largest city and provincial capital of Liaoning province, which was formerly administered under Fengtian Fu, which was abolished in 1910 * Liaoning, the province formerl ...

. 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. As part of the government's drive to build a modern judicial system, he was appointed Minister of Justice in 1912. 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 Duan Qirui (; ) (March 6, 1865 – November 2, 1936) was a Chinese warlord and politician, a commander of the Beiyang Army and the acting Chief Executive of the Republic of China (in Beijing) from 1924 to 1926. He was also the Premier of the R ...

, who was head of the Provisional Government of China. Xu was later the Chinese ambassador to Japan, and the chairman of a Chinese delegation for peace negotiations with KMT China. Xu died in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

Taiwan 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 no ...

References

External links

Hsu Shih-ying (Xu Shiying) 許世英
from ''Biographies of Prominent Chinese'' c.1925. 1873 births 1964 deaths Politicians from Chizhou Republic of China politicians from Anhui Qing dynasty politicians from Anhui Ambassadors of China to Japan Chinese police officers Justice Ministers of the Republic of China Senior Advisors to President Chiang Kai-shek Premiers of the Republic of China Political office-holders in Shanxi Political office-holders in Liaoning Political office-holders in Fujian Taiwanese people from Anhui Empire of China (1915–1916) {{China-politician-stub