“Can you imagine T. V. Soong pacing these very floors?” That is a question that comes to mind as we stand before \u5b8b\u5b50\u6587\u65e7\u5c45. This residence whispers tales of a man who was a prominent figure in China’s history. This is the former residence of T. V. Soong.
T. V. Soong was not just any man. He was a businessman banker and politician. Soong even served as Premier of the Republic of China. He held this esteemed position in 1930 and again between 1945 and 1947.
Born Soong Tse-vung on December 4 1894 in Shanghai he later died on April 25 1971. He passed away in San Francisco California. Soong’s life was a tapestry of finance diplomacy and political maneuvering.
Soong’s sisters were influential too. They were known as the Soong sisters. Ai-ling married H. H. Kung. Ching-ling married Sun Yat-sen and Mei-ling married Chiang Kai-shek.
Returning to China Soong worked for Sun Yat-sen. He helped develop finances for the Canton government. After Chiang Kai-shek’s Northern Expedition Soong held various government offices. These included Governor of the Central Bank of China and Minister of Finance.
In 1934 Soong founded the China Development Finance Corporation. It provided China access to foreign investment. Some packages even benefited Soong’s family.
During the summer of 1940 Chiang appointed Soong to Washington D.C. His mission was to gain support for China’s war with Japan. Soong successfully negotiated loans. After Pearl Harbor he became Minister of Foreign Affairs. However he remained in Washington to manage the alliance with the U.S. and the U.K.
As Finance Minister he balanced China’s budget. In 1933 he resigned displeased with Chiang Kai-shek’s appeasement of Japan. Later Soong returned as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also became President of the Executive Yuan. Soong headed the Chinese delegation to the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco in 1945.
During the German invasion of Russia Soong negotiated with Joseph Stalin. He sought a guarantee that Stalin would oppose the Chinese Communist Party. Soong conceded Manchurian railways and Korean independence. However he refused Soviet interference in Xinjiang or military bases in Manchuria.
Soong was known for his tough negotiating style with Stalin. He used the threat of American military backing. When the Sino-Soviet treaty was signed China ceded parts of Mongolia. It also ceded use of a naval base at Port Arthur and co-ownership of the Chinese Eastern Railway in Manchuria.
In return Stalin recognized the Republic of China. He also promised aid and eventual Soviet withdrawal from Manchuria. The treaty did not end tension with the communists.
During the war years he financed the Flying Tigers. Gen. Claire Chennault was listed as an employee of the Bank of China. Soong worked closely with his sister May-ling Soong on this project.
Criticism of Soong grew as the Nationalist government’s financial crisis worsened. On March 1 1947 Soong resigned as president of the Executive Yuan. In January 1949 he moved to the United States.
On April 25 1971 Soong choked to death in San Francisco. A piece of chicken lodged in his windpipe.
As you stand before \u5b8b\u5b50\u6587\u65e7\u5c45 remember T. V. Soong. Remember his influence on China and the world.