Jurist close to Sun Yat-sen, premier of the 1922 "good men cabinet" and first president of the Judicial Yuan
Born in Hong Kong in 1881 to a Protestant clergyman's family from Dongguan, he studied law at Peiyang University and took a doctorate in civil law at Yale in 1905, the year he joined the Tongmenghui; he also made the first English translation of the German Civil Code. In 1912 he was foreign minister of the Nanjing provisional government and then justice minister under Tang Shaoyi. In 1922, backed by Wu Peifu, he became premier of the "good men cabinet", which fell after two months, and then a judge of the Permanent Court of International Justice. Under the Nationalists he was the first president of the Judicial Yuan from 1928 and guided the drafting of the codes, and as foreign minister from 1937 to 1941 he signed the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. He moved to Taipei in 1949 and headed the Judicial Yuan until his death in 1958.
Also known as: Wang Ch'ung-hui
Activities and affiliations
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1905–1912
Tongmenghui (Chinese United League)
Law and justice -
1912
Republic of China state institutionsMinister of Foreign Affairs, Nanjing provisional government
Diplomacy and international organization -
1922
Beiyang government and warlordsPremierHeads of state, government and party of China
Political and party leadership -
1926–1958
Political and party leadership
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1928–1931
Republic of China state institutionsPresident of the Judicial YuanMain
Law and justice -
1937–1941
Republic of China state institutionsMinister of Foreign Affairs
Diplomacy and international organization -
1948–1958
Republic of China state institutionsPresident of the Judicial Yuan
Law and justice
Career Timeline
- 1900Graduated in law from Peiyang University
- 1905Doctor of Civil Law at Yale; joined the Tongmenghui
- 1907Published an English translation of the German Civil Code; called to the bar at the Middle Temple
- 1912.01–03Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanjing provisional government
- 1912.03–07Minister of Justice in Tang Shaoyi's cabinet
- 1920Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
- 1922.07.31–09.19Acting Premier
- 1922.09.19–11.29Premier
- 1923–1925Deputy judge of the Permanent Court of International Justice
- 1928–1931President of the Judicial Yuan
- 1931–1936Judge of the Permanent Court of International Justice
- 1937.03–1941.04Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1942Secretary-General of the Supreme National Defence Council
- 1948–1958.03.15President of the Judicial Yuan