Background
Mr. Wang Ch’ih-ch’ang was born at Tianjin, Chihli province in 1877.
Mr. Wang Ch’ih-ch’ang was born at Tianjin, Chihli province in 1877.
Mr. Wang studied law at the Peiyang University, Tianjin. Before graduation from that University he went to Japan where he entered Waseda University taking a Commercial Course and graduated with the degree of B. S. He was awarded the degree of Chu-jen or Provincial Graduate in commerce by the Ching government.
Mr. Wang began his official career as a member of the Board of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce. For a time before the establishment of the Republic he was professor in the College of Commerce at Tianjin.
In 1912 Mr. Wang became a Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in charge of the Foreign Trade Section. In December 1913 this Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture of Forestry were amalgamated into the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce.
Mr. Wang was given the post of Senior Secretary in the new Ministry. Later Mr. Wang was promoted to be a Councillor of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce becoming concurrently the Curator of the Commercial Museum of the Ministry. In December 1918 Mr. Wang was appointed by the Ministry to study the post-war industrial conditions in Europe and America. He was at the same time awarded the Second Class Paokuang Chiaho Decoration.
When the Peace Conference was held in Paris in the first part of 1919 Mr. Wang was with the Chinese Delegation as technical expert. In January 1920 Mr. Wang received the Second Class Wenhu Decoration. In January 1921 he was given the Second Class Tashou Paokuang Chiaho and at the same time appointed a Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce in charge of the Department of Industry and Commerce.
In August 1921 Mr. Wang was appointed to be concurrently the government superintendent of the Bank of Agriculture and Commerce. In September 1921 he was appointed Technical Expert of the Chinese Delegation to the Washington Conference. Subsequently to his return from the Washington Conference Mr. Wang was appointed Vice-President of the Commission for the Discussion of Customs Tariff Revision. In November 1922 he was awarded the Second Class Tashou Chiaho Decoration.
In January 1923 Mr. Wang received another concurrent position as a Member of the Bureau for the Preparation of the calling of the Special Conference for the Revision of the Customs Tariff. In February 1923 he became Vice-President of the Commission for the Revision of the Commercial and Industrial Laws. Besides holding the posts of Director of the Ministry and Superintendent of the Bank of Agriculture and Commerce, Mr. Wang was for many years a Member of the Advisory Council of the Government Immigration Bureau.
Mr. Wang was also registered with the Cabinet as an official qualified to be Envloy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to a foreign country. Mr. Wang was wearer of the First Class Gold Medal of the Ministry of Finance and also of the First Class Medal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce.