Background
Mr. Hsia I-t’ing was born at Kiangying Hsien, Jiangsu Province in 1878.
Mr. Hsia I-t’ing was born at Kiangying Hsien, Jiangsu Province in 1878.
Beginning his diplomatic career as a student interpreter of the Chinese Legation in Berlin, Mr. Hsia then Chinese Minister to Brazil, filled successfully the offices of Attache to the legation in Spain and of Secretary to the legation in Paris. At one time he was Charge d’Affaires of the legation inn Spain. Next he became Consul-General in Yokohama, Japan. Later he was Councillor of the Special Diplomatic Mission sent to Belgium and France.
In 1914 Mr. Hsia was made Secretary to the Cabinet and afterwards, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1915, when Lu Cheng- hsiang was recalled from Switzerland where he was recuperating his health to become Minister of Foreign Affairs to handle the delicate negotiations over the Twenty-One Demands presented by the Japanese government, Mr. Hsia was appointed Councillor of the Ministry.
After the failure of Yuan Shih- kai’s monarchical scheme, he created the Politics Studying Commission to devise means and ways for the improvement of internal politics.
Mr. Hsia was elected Chief Secretary of the Commission, of which many prominent foreign advisers like Dr. Morrison, Dr. Willoughby and Dr. Agria, were members. In April 1916, Mr. Hsia was appointed acting Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs. In October he was ordered to officiate as Minister, just before the assumption of this important office by Dr. Wu Ting-fang.
In December 1916, he resigned from this post and later accepted the advisor- ship to the President’s Office and also to the Cabinet, besides serving as a member of the War Commission.
In October 1917, Mr. Hsia was appointed Minister to Brazil and Peru. In January 1920 he was awarded the Second Order of Wenfu. In March 1921 he re presented China at the Centenary of the Republic of Peru and a year later at the Centenary of the Independence of Brazil. In October 1922, he received the First Order of Tashou Chiaho.
