Mr. Wang Ta-hsieh was born at Hangchow, Chekiang province, in 1858. He is a Chinese scholar of great literary attainment, becoming a Provincial Graduate in 1889. He began his official career as a Junior Secretary of the Board of Foreign Affairs, or Tsung-li Yamen. Afterwards he became a Senior Secretary of the Board of Revenue. In 1902 he was appointed Director of Chinese Educational Coinmission in Japan. In September 1903 he was recalled to Peking and given the post of Councillor of the Foreign Office. In 1904 Mr. Wang became director of Chinese Educational Commission in Europe and after staying there for one year, returned to Peking to resume his connection with the Foreign Office. In September 1905 he was appointed Chinese Minister to Great Britain. In 1906 he was recalled and appointed Junior Vice-President of the Board of Foreign Affairs. In September 1907 he was appointed Special Envoy to Great Britain to study constitutional government. Upon his return in August 1918 he was appointed High Commissioner of the Imperial Granaries. Early in 1910 he became Senior Vice-President of the Board of Communications. In May 1910 he was appointed Chinese Minister to Japan. During the period in which China was under a provisional government, Mr. Wang was China's official representative in Tokyo. He returned to China in 1913. In September 1913 he was appointed Minister of Education which position he resigned in February 1914. In March 1913 he became Chief Justice of the Administrative Court. In May 1914 he was transferred to be Vice-President of the State Advisory Council created by Yuan Shih-kai who had dissolved the First Parliament in January that year. In June 1916, following the death of Yuan Shih-kai, he became Minister of Communications under Tuan Chi-jui's Cabinet. But this post he only held for one month. In February 1917 Mr. Wang was appointed Special Envoy for the presentation of the Grand Decoration to the Emperor of Japan. In June 1917 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in which capacity he acted as Prime Minister from December 22, 1917 when Tuan Chi-jui resigned until the end of that month when he also resigned. In December 1918 he was appointed President of the Diplomatic Commission to prepare China's case for the Peace Conference. In January 1920 he was conferred the Third Order of Merit. In the autumn of 1920 he was appointed President of the Chinese Red Cross Socfety and also one of the two chairman of the Famine Relief Association for the northern five provinces, the other chairman being Hsiung Hsi-ling. In April 1922 Mr. Wang was appointed Vice-President of the Commission for the settlement of diplomatic affairs in consequence of the decisions reached in the Washington Conference. In June 1922 he became again the Chief of the Administrative Court and concurrently Chief of the High Civil Service Court. In August he was again appointed President of the Chinese Red Cross Society. In October he was awarded the Second Order of Merit. On November 29, 1922, at the request of President Li Yuan-hung, he accepted the premiership of a Provisional Cabinet, holding concurrently the portfolio of Finance. Ten days later he was relieved of these posts and appointed again the Chief Justice of the Administration Court. In January 1923 he received an additional post as Member of the Educational Sinking Funds Commission.
