A Study On Xu Jingcheng's Diplomatic Actions

Xu Jingcheng is one of the early ministers to foreign countries in the late Qing Dynasty. He was born in an old and well-known family and he makes his fortune and gets great achievements in the Imperial Academy. He is famous for keen disposition. He studies the pratical academy early and thinks the general trend of events must be inclined to diplomatic relations. At that time most of the gentry know nothing about the world. They are sentimentally preoccupied with tradition and can't pull themselves out of it. While Xu Jingcheng is recommended to foreign countries for his courage and integrity and rich knowledge about home and abroad by famous prime minister Wen Xiang in 1880. He becomes one of the early people who travel around the world as well as observe and learn from the western countries by himself.Xu Jingcheng is sent on a diplomatic mission successively to France,German,Italy and Austria etc. from 1884.It is not until in 1898 that he returns to homeland and workes in the Department of Prime Minister. During his diplomatic career for sixteen years he negotiates with Russia most of the time. China has a longest history of negotiations with Russia. While Xu Jingcheng is the first person who know such most profoundly.The paper emphatically makes an allround discussion on Xu Jingcheng's diplomatic actions in the diplomacy of late Qing Dynasty and tries to make a deep analysis of his diplomatic negotiations so as to highlight his contributions and distinguishing features. His achievements are therefore worthy of high praise as a diplomat. We can also catch a glimpse of the difficult course of Chinese diplomatic modernization. The paper is made up of five parts:The first part is about his studying on practical statecraft, his becoming visible of ability and wisdom and his going on the way to the diplomatic stage. The main content focuses on the reason and course of his going on the way to the diplomatic stage. It...