Tseng Yung-ch’iian

1906

China

Tseng was removed from his academic position in 1949 and posted as a diplomat in Moscow; he has remained in diplomatic work since that time. Sino-Soviet relations were established immediately after the Communists officially formed their government in October 1949. Tseng was sent to Moscow as a counsellor of the embassy, and during his three years there he served under ambassadors Wang Chia-hsiang and Chang Wen- fien. Tseng was thus in Moscow for the negotiations from December 1949 to February 1950 (conducted by Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai), which led to the historic treaty of alliance signed on Febuary 14, 1950. On November 17, 1950, Tseng was promoted to minister-counsellor, and in this capacity served from time to time as charge d’affaires of the Chinese mission. In August 1952 Tseng replaced P’eng Ming- chih as ambassador to Poland, presenting his credentials in Warsaw on September 27, 1952. In January 1953 he participated in negotiations in Warsaw which led to the signing of a cultural cooperation agreement for 1953, and 13 months later he took part in the talks which resulted in the signing of the 1954 trade agreement between China and Poland. After two and a half years in Poland, he was transferred in January 1955 to East Germany, replacing Chi P’eng-fei as ambassador. In May of that year he was a member of the delegation led by Defense Minister P'eng Te-huai to the celebrations in Berlin marking the 10th anniversary of the iiberation of East Germany. In November 1955 he signed a trade and payments agreement for the year 1956, and in the following month accompanied East German Premier Otto Grotewohl to China for a state visit. This important visit led to the signing of several agreements, including the Sino-German Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. As of that date Peking had signed only one other treaty of friendship (with the Soviet Union). In the meantime, while still the ambassador to Berlin, Tseng was appointed (January 1957) a vice-minister of Foreign Affairs. It was not until June 1957, however, that he was replaced in Germany by Wang Kuo-ch'iian. Over the next years in Peking, it became evident from the visitors he saw and from his negotiations with them that Tseng worked almost exclusively in Sino-Soviet and Sino-East European relations a logical outgrowth of well over seven years of diplomatic service in those areas. Virtually every Soviet or East European group which visited China after mid-1957 saw Tseng. However, while frequently involved in entertaining such visitors or in negotiations with them, he was a signatory to only one agreement, that was in June 1961 when he signed the exchange of instruments of ratification of the Sino-Czech Consular Treaty. He went back to East Europe once after returning to China, accompanying Ho Lung to Germany for the 12th anniversary of the establishment of the East German government in October 1961. Inevitably, Tseng’s work involved him in the Sino-Soviet rift, as was manifested in October 1963 when he ‘‘made a clear-cut explanation” to the Soviet ambassador regarding alleged Soviet distortion of the Chinese attitude toward an increase in representation by Asian and African nations on important United Nations organs, in particular the non-permanent seats in the Security Council. After serving for nine years as a vice-minister, Tseng was removed from this post in January 1966 and was named to succeed Liu Fang as ambassador to Rumania. He presented his credentials in Bucharest on March 17, 1966.

Tseng Yung-ch’iian

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Diplomat politician CCP member

Background

Nothing is known about his background.

Education

In the immediate postwar period he was stationed in the Kalgan area as deputy chief-of-staff of the Shansi-Chahar-Hopeh Military Region, which was commanded by Nieh Jung-chen. Peking in January 1949, they established (or transferred from “liberated areas” of north China) three important new universities: North China University (Hua-pei ta-hsueh), North China People's Revolutionary University (Hua- pei jen-min ko-ming ta-hsueh), and the North China Military and Political Academy (Hua-pei chiin-cheng ta-hsueh). The last-mentioned was headed by Yeh Chien-ying (concurrently the Peking mayor) and Tseng served as the vice-president

Career

Tseng was removed from his academic position in 1949 and posted as a diplomat in Moscow; he has remained in diplomatic work since that time. Sino-Soviet relations were established immediately after the Communists officially formed their government in October 1949. Tseng was sent to Moscow as a counsellor of the embassy, and during his three years there he served under ambassadors Wang Chia-hsiang and Chang Wen- fien. Tseng was thus in Moscow for the negotiations from December 1949 to February 1950 (conducted by Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai), which led to the historic treaty of alliance signed on Febuary 14, 1950. On November 17, 1950, Tseng was promoted to minister-counsellor, and in this capacity served from time to time as charge d’affaires of the Chinese mission.

In August 1952 Tseng replaced P’eng Ming- chih as ambassador to Poland, presenting his credentials in Warsaw on September 27, 1952. In January 1953 he participated in negotiations in Warsaw which led to the signing of a cultural cooperation agreement for 1953, and 13 months later he took part in the talks which resulted in the signing of the 1954 trade agreement between China and Poland. After two and a half years in Poland, he was transferred in January 1955 to East Germany, replacing Chi P’eng-fei as ambassador. In May of that year he was a member of the delegation led by Defense Minister P'eng Te-huai to the celebrations in Berlin marking the 10th anniversary of the iiberation of East Germany. In November 1955 he signed a trade and payments agreement for the year 1956, and in the following month accompanied East German Premier Otto Grotewohl to China for a state visit. This important visit led to the signing of several agreements, including the Sino-German Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. As of that date Peking had signed only one other treaty of friendship (with the Soviet Union).

In the meantime, while still the ambassador to Berlin, Tseng was appointed (January 1957) a vice-minister of Foreign Affairs. It was not until June 1957, however, that he was replaced in Germany by Wang Kuo-ch'iian. Over the next years in Peking, it became evident from the visitors he saw and from his negotiations with them that Tseng worked almost exclusively in Sino-Soviet and Sino-East European relations a logical outgrowth of well over seven years of diplomatic service in those areas. Virtually every Soviet or East European group which visited China after mid-1957 saw Tseng. However, while frequently involved in entertaining such visitors or in negotiations with them, he was a signatory to only one agreement, that was in June 1961 when he signed the exchange of instruments of ratification of the Sino-Czech Consular Treaty. He went back to East Europe once after returning to China, accompanying Ho Lung to Germany for the 12th anniversary of the establishment of the East German government in October 1961. Inevitably, Tseng’s work involved him in the Sino-Soviet rift, as was manifested in October 1963 when he ‘‘made a clear-cut explanation” to the Soviet ambassador regarding alleged Soviet distortion of the Chinese attitude toward an increase in representation by Asian and African nations on important United Nations organs, in particular the non-permanent seats in the Security Council.

After serving for nine years as a vice-minister, Tseng was removed from this post in January 1966 and was named to succeed Liu Fang as ambassador to Rumania. He presented his credentials in Bucharest on March 17, 1966.

Politics

In May 1956 Tseng was a delegate to the Third Congress of the East German Socialist Unity (Communist) Party and then in the early fall of that year was reported back in China, presumably to attend the Eighth Party Congress (September 1956). Back in Germany, Tseng was in charge of the Chinese delegation to the opening of the annual Leipzig Industrial Fair in March 1957.

Connections

Virtually nothing is known about Tseng’s personal life aside from the fact that he is married to Hsu Pei-ju and that he has a limited knowledge of English and Russian.

Spouse:: Hsu Pei-ju

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Tseng Yung-ch’iian

Background

Education

Career

Politics

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Born

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Career

October, 1949

1952

1957 - 1966