The Intercultural Identity And Career Life Of U.S-Educated Chinese Diplomats (1911-1949)

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the May 4th Movement.A century ago,Chinese diplomats said "no" to the Western Powers for the first time at the Paris Conference.This diplomatic failure triggered the outburst of the May 4th Movement.Having gone through a century of vicissitudes,China now becomes a strong country with great diplomatic influence on the international stage.However,"to forget history means betrayal",it is necessary to look back upon China's modern diplomacy when China was regarded as the "sick man of East Asia" and oppressed and humiliated by Western powers.The Republican era is an important stage for Chinese diplomacy,during which China moved from being a semi-colony of the Great Powers to being a great power itself,recovering the sovereignty and autonomy that had been so severely jeopardized in the latter decades of the Qing dynasty.The diplomatic accomplishment is inseparable with the efforts of a group of professional diplomats who have U.S.education background,such as V.K.Wellington Koo(Gu Weijun),Yan Huiqing and Sao-ke Alfred Sze(Shi Zhaoji).With their proficiency in English,professional training in international law,politics etc.and familiarity with Western diplomacy,they surged up on international stage in a torrent era when China was weak inside and facing threats from outside.However,their profession as diplomats and westernized disposition raised public suspicions on their character.Historical evaluation on them as a group is often mixed with compliments and criticism.They were at times criticized as traitor and blamed as scapegoat for diplomatic setbacks.Given the significance of this historical period,their group identity and individual difference are worth exploring.Besides,a study on Chinese diplomatic practice conducted from a disadvantageous position provides insights to Chinese diplomats in this new era.Therefore,this thesis aims to examine the formation of the U.S-educated Chinese diplomats'(USECDs)intercultural identity.This thesis applies qualitative method on a sample of 15 USECDs.Autobiographies,biographies,and oral historical records of the 15 diplomats are thematically analyzed under the theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner's Process-Person-Context-Time Model.The formation of intercultural identity is analyzed as a dynamic process to figure out the factors involved in its social construction.The sample USECDs were high-ranking officials in the Foreign Ministry from 1911 to 1949,present studies on them are confined to their personal experience and historical contribution,thus leave a research gap on their group cultural identity.Therefore,this research aims to analyze factors that contribute to their intercultural identity formation.The investigation on these questions helps to draw a silhouette of the USECDs group in this historical period.Besides,it is of referential value to the cultivation of diplomatic talents in future.This research finds that three factors contribute to the intercultural identity formation of USECD,including family background,education experience and historic background.The influence of family background reflects in economic support,attitudes towards western culture and emphasis on education.Educations experience includes traditional education and new-style education received in China and higher education received in the U.S.Finally,USECDs lived in a time when China witnessed the rapid process of diplomatic modernization.Meanwhile,patriotic spirit of revitalizing the Chinese nation and saving China from the Japanese aggression became zeitgeist.The intercultural identity of 15 USECDs' is presented through three aspects:diplomatic professionalism,westernization and nationalism.Westernization is revealed in their western manner and affiliation with Anglo-American countries and institutions.Meanwhile,nationalism is best manifested in their diplomatic goals.Out of diplomatic professionalism,their means is different from the public expectations,they prefer gradual solution and do not mind temporary concessions.To conclude,this thesis finds that USECDs' cross-cultural experiences left permanent marks on their professional trajectories.Their intercultural identity is a necessity for promoting China's modernization but also the reason why the public misunderstood them at times.In all,they were patriots who served for the glorious cause of China's rise on the frontier of diplomacy.