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Yan Huiqing
Yan in 1932
Acting President of the Republic of China
In office 13 May 1926 – 22 June 1926
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Hu Weide (acting)
Succeeded by	Du Xigui (acting)
Premier of the Republic of China
In office 13 May 1926 – 22 June 1926 Acting
President	Himself
Preceded by	Hu Weide
Succeeded by	Du Xigui
In office 14 September 1924 – 31 October 1924
President	Cao Kun
Preceded by	Wellington Koo
Succeeded by	Huang Fu
In office 11 June 1922 – 5 August 1922
President	Li Yuanhong
Preceded by	Zhou Ziqi
Succeeded by	Tang Shaoyi
In office 25 January 1922 – 8 April 1922
President	Xu Shichang
Preceded by	Liang Shiyi
Succeeded by	Zhou Ziqi
In office 18 December 1921 – 24 December 1921 Acting
President	Xu Shichang
Preceded by	Jin Yunpeng
Succeeded by	Liang Shiyi
Personal details
Born	(1877-04-02)2 April 1877 Shanghai, Qing Dynasty
Died	24 May 1950(1950-05-24) (aged 73) Shanghai, China
Political party	Anhui clique
Education	University of Virginia (BA) Peiyang University (DLitt)

Yan Huiqing (Chinese: 顏惠慶; Wade–Giles: Yen Hui-Ch'ing, also Weiching Williams Yen or simply W.W. Yen; 2 April 1877 – 24 May 1950) was a Chinese diplomat and politician who served under the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. He held the title of jinshi in the imperial bureaucracy. Notably, he served briefly as Premier and later President of the Republic of China in the 1920s, and, shortly before his death, became a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Biography

A native of Shanghai and a graduate of the University of Virginia (where he studied political science, received prizes and medals for debate, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa), he taught English at St. John's University, Shanghai for a short time after coming back from the United States, where he became a Freemason, and then went to Beijing to start his political career. In 1906, he became an editor at the Commercial Press, received a D.Litt. from the Peiyang University (now Tianjin University) and the title of jinshi in the imperial civil service, and was appointed to the Imperial Ministry of Education.

He served as Foreign Minister, premier (and acting premier) five times and as acting president during his last premiership in 1926. Wu Peifu handpicked him for the acting presidency to pave the way for Cao Kun's restoration, and he set up a cabinet in anticipation, but he was unable to take office due to Zhang Zuolin's objection. When Yan finally took his post, he immediately resigned and appointed navy minister Du Xigui as his successor.

A veteran diplomat, he was China's first ambassador to the Soviet Union, and a delegate to the Washington Naval Conference and the League of Nations; he also served as a diplomat to Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and, finally, the United States, where he denounced the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. During World War II, he translated and compiled Stories of Old China in Hong Kong while under Japanese house-arrest in 1942. In early 1949 he visited Moscow and met with Joseph Stalin, in hopes of negotiating a solution in the Chinese Civil War.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, he congratulated Mao Zedong on his victory, became a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and he was also appointed Vice Chairman of the East China Military and Political Committee.

On May 24, 1950, Yan Huiqing died of heart disease in Shanghai at the age of 73. Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai both sent condolences. He was survived by his wife and six children.

In 2016, the University of Virginia paid tribute to Yen by creating the W.W. Yen China Fund. W.W. Yen was the first student from China to earn a degree from the University of Virginia. The former Lewis House is now Yen House, in honor of Yen.

References

1. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity Yan Huiqing Bio Archived 2014-05-31 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 22, 2015
2. "Yen Makes Way for Koo at Peking". The New York Times. 1922-05-29. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
3. "NEW CABINET RULE IS SET UP IN PEKING; Group Will Act Without President of Republic, Backed by Wu and Chang Armies. DR. W.W. YEN IS PREMIER Wellington Koo Gets Finance Portfolio and Sze Is Slated for Foreign Minister". The New York Times. 1926-05-14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
4. "NEW CHINESE ENVOY ARRIVES IN MOSCOW; Dr. Yen Doubts Soviet Will Join League's Committee of 19 -- Sees Hard Task Before Him". The New York Times. 1933-03-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
5. "CHINA'S DELEGATES START.; Dr. Yen, Foreign Minister, Will Be Chief Representative in Washington". The New York Times. 1921-09-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
6. "DR. YEN SAYS JAPAN CHALLENGES WORLD; New Chinese Envoy at Washington Holds Tokyo Has Designs on Manchuria". The New York Times. 1931-12-21. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
7. Yen, W. W (1932-03-27). "WHAT MANCHURIA MEANS TO CHINA'S FUTURE; Minister Yen Advances the Republic's Needs as Against Those of Japan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
8. "DR. W.W.YEN DIES; CHINESE DIPLOMAT; Former Premier and Foreign, Minister Had Been Envoy to U.S., Britain and Russia". The New York Times. 1950-05-26. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
9. Honoring a Legacy,
10. UVA’S LEWIS HOUSE RENAMED YEN HOUSE TO HONOR NOTED CHINESE GRADUATE,

External links

• Media related to Yan Huiqing at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Presidents of the Republic of China
Provisional Government	Sun Yat-sen (1912) Yuan Shikai (1912–1913)
Beiyang government	Yuan Shikai (1913–1916) Li Yuanhong (1916–1917) Feng Guozhang (1917–1918; acting) Xu Shichang (1918–1922) Li Yuanhong (1922–1923) Gao Lingwei (1923; acting) Cao Kun (1923–1924) Huang Fu (1924; acting) Duan Qirui (1924–1926) Hu Weide (1926; acting) Yan Huiqing (1926; acting) Du Xigui (1926; acting) Wellington Koo (1926–1927; acting) Zhang Zuolin (1927–1928)
Nationalist government (Chairman)	Tan Yankai (1928) Chiang Kai-shek (1928–1931) Lin Sen (1931–1943) Chiang Kai-shek (1943–1948)
Constitutional government (Indirect election)	Chiang Kai-shek (1948–1949) Li Tsung-jen (1949–1950; acting) Chiang Kai-shek (1950–1975; resumed) Yen Chia-kan (1975–1978) Chiang Ching-kuo (1978–1988) Lee Teng-hui (1988–1996)
Constitutional government (Direct election)	Lee Teng-hui (1996–2000) Chen Shui-bian (2000–2008) Ma Ying-jeou (2008–2016) Tsai Ing-wen (2016–2024) Lai Ching-te (2024–present)
See also List of presidents of the Republic of China Xia → Shang → Zhou → Qin → Han → 3 Kingdoms → Jìn / 16 Kingdoms → S. Dynasties / N. Dynasties → Sui → Tang → 5 Dynasties & 10 Kingdoms → Liao / Song / W. Xia / Jīn → Yuan → Ming → Qing → ROC / PRC

v t e Heads of government of the Republic of China
Premiers of Cabinet	Tang Shaoyi Lu Zhengxiang Zhao Bingjun Duan Qirui* Xiong Xiling Sun Baoqi*
Secretaries of State	Xu Shichang Lu Zhengxiang*
Premiers of State Council	Duan Qirui Wu Tingfang* Li Jingxi
Premiers of State Council	Duan Qirui Wang Daxie* Wang Shizhen* Qian Nengxun* Gong Xinzhan* Jin Yunpeng Sa Zhenbing Yan Huiqing* Liang Shiyi Zhou Ziqi* Wang Chonghui* Wang Zhengting* Zhang Shaozeng Gao Lingwei Sun Baoqi Vi Kyuin Wellington Koo* Huang Fu* Xu Shiying Jia Deyao* Hu Weide* Du Xigui* Pan Fu
Presidents of Executive Yuan (Mainland China)	Tan Yankai T. V. Soong Chiang Kai-shek Chen Mingshu Sun Fo Wang Jingwei H. H. Kung Zhang Qun Weng Wenhao He Yingqin
Presidents of Executive Yuan (Taiwan)	Yan Xishan Chen Cheng Yu Hung-chun Yen Chia-kan Chiang Ching-kuo Sun Yun-suan Yu Kuo-hwa Lee Huan Hau Pei-tsun Lien Chan Vincent Siew Tang Fei Chang Chun-hsiung Yu Shyi-kun Frank Hsieh Su Tseng-chang Liu Chao-shiuan Wu Den-yih Sean Chen Jiang Yi-huah Mao Chi-kuo Chang San-cheng Lin Chuan Lai Ching-te Su Tseng-chang Chen Chien-jen Cho Jung-tai
*acting

v t e Warlord Era and warlordism during the Nanjing decade
1915–1924 1925–1934 Factions 1911–1914 Bai Lang Rebellion 1913 Second Revolution 1915 Twenty-One Demands 1915–1916 Empire of China (Yuan Shikai) National Protection War 1916 Death of Yuan Shikai 1917 Manchu Restoration 1917–1922 Constitutional Protection Movement 1917–1929 Golok rebellions 1918–1920 Siberian intervention 1919 Paris Peace Conference Shandong Problem May Fourth Movement 1919–1921 Occupation of Outer Mongolia 1920 Zhili–Anhui War 1920–1921 Guangdong–Guangxi War 1920–1926 Spirit Soldier rebellions 1921 1st National CPC Congress 1921–1922 Washington Naval Conference 1922 First Zhili–Fengtian War 1923–1927 First United Front 1923 Lincheng Outrage 1924 Second Zhili–Fengtian War Canton Merchants' Corps Uprising Beijing Coup 1925 Yunnan–Guangxi War May Thirtieth Movement 1925–1926 Anti-Fengtian War Canton–Hong Kong strike 1926 Zhongshan Warship Incident 1926–1928 Northern Expedition Nanjing–Wuhan Split Nationalist-Communist Civil War 1927 Nanking incident of 1927 1927 Shanghai Commune of 1927 1927 Shanghai massacre 1927 July 15 Incident 1927–1930 Muslim conflict in Gansu 1928 Jinan incident Huanggutun incident Looting of the Eastern Mausoleum Northeast Flag Replacement 1928–1929 Third Red Spears' uprising in Shandong 1929 Chiang-Gui War Warlord Rebellion in northeastern Shandong (incl. Beijing Revolt) Sino-Soviet conflict 1930 Central Plains War 1930–1932 Sino-Tibetan War / Qinghai–Tibet War 1931–1935 Kumul Rebellion / Soviet invasion of Xinjiang 1932 Han–Liu War 1932 Two-Liu war 1934 War in Ningxia Beiyang Anhui Zhili Fengtian (National Pacification Army) Zhili Army Shanxi Guominjun Ma Xinjiang Yunnan Sichuan Old Guangxi New Guangxi Guangdong Guizhou Kuomintang (KMT) Communist Party (CCP)
Republic of China (1912–1949)

• 1877 births
• 1950 deaths
• Presidents of the Republic of China
• Premiers of the Republic of China
• Ambassadors of China to the Soviet Union
• Republic of China politicians from Shanghai
• Ambassadors of the Republic of China to the United States
• Chinese autobiographers
• Writers from Shanghai
• Permanent representatives of the Republic of China to the League of Nations
• University of Virginia alumni
• Members of the 1st Legislative Yuan