Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Liu Ching-jen

Mr. Liu Ching-jen,

劉鏡人字士照

Mr. Liu Ching-jen was born at Paosanhsien, Kiangsu, in 1868. He first joined the school of Language at the Arsenal in Shanghai, and was afterwards transferred to the College of Tung Wen Kwan in Peking, where he graduated in 1893. After his graduation he was sent to London as a student interpreter to the Chinese Legation. From London he was transferred to the Legation in Paris. In 1896 Mr. Liu left Paris and was employed in the Three Eastern Provinces, where he was entrusted with the task of surveying the railway lines. Upon the completion of the mission, he remained attached to the office of the said railway for conducting diplomatic affairs. In 1906 Minister Liu was transferred to the Legation at Petrograd as Councillor, where several times he was charge d'affaires in the absence of the Minister. In 1908 he was recalled and sent to Harbin to be President of the Bureau of Diplomatic Affairs for the province of Heilungkiang. Soon afterwards he was appointed Taotai of Harbin. The following year he was made Assistant Director of the Peking-Hankow Railway. In 1910 Mr. Liu was appointed Expectant Councillor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1911 he was again appointed Taotai of Harbin. Before taking up his office, Minister Liu was sent to Petograd to negotiate for the modification of the Chinese-Russian Commercial Treaty. While on the mission he was appointed Chinese Minister to Holland. He assumed the office on February 22, but in September of the same year he was transferred to be Chinese Minister to Russia. In the spring of 1918 Mr. Liu returned to China in company with the Japanese Ambassador, Viscount Uchida, on account of the disorder in Russia following the overthrow of Tsardom. In January 1919 Mr. Liu was awarded the Second Class Wenfu. In September 1919 he was appointed Chinese Minister to Japan. But he declined the honor and persistently refused to proceed to this post. In January 1920 Mr. Liu was awarded the Second Class Tashou Paokuang Chiaho. In September 1920 he was officially relieved of the Tokyo post and was appointed Vice-President of the Commission for the Study of Treaties under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1922 Mr. Liu was appointed concurrently President of the Commission for Russian Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In October 1922 he was awarded the First Class Tashou Chiaho. In May 1923 Mr. Liu was appointed Vice-President of the Commission on Foreign Affairs which position he is still holding.