“What stories do these walls hold?” That is a question I ask myself every time I stand before the Embassy of China in Washington D.C. This is not just a building. It is a symbol of a complex and evolving relationship between China and the United States.
The Embassy of China is located at 3505 International Place Northwest. It stands in the Van Ness neighborhood of Washington D.C. The visa section is located elsewhere at 2201 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest in Glover Park. China also has consulates in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City.
The Qing Empire first established a mission in the U.S. in 1875. Chen Lanbin was the first minister. From 1877 to 1883, the legation rented a luxury townhouse at 1705 K Street NW. Later, it moved to Stewart’s Castle on Dupont Circle. Minister Wu Tingfang then moved it to a mansion at 18th and Q Street NW.
In 1902, the Qing legation moved to a mansion on 19th Street NW. Waddy Butler Wood designed it. This building is the oldest still standing that was built in Washington by a foreign government. After the Qing Dynasty fell in 1912, it became the legation of the Republic of China. In 1935, it was upgraded to an embassy. Alfred Sao-ke Sze became China’s first ambassador to the U.S.
The embassy moved to the Fahnestock Mansion on Massachusetts Avenue NW in 1944. It remained there until diplomatic relations ended on January 1, 1979. That building is now the embassy of Haiti.
In 1937, Ambassador Chengting T. Wang began renting the Twin Oaks estate. His successor, Wellington Koo, purchased it in 1947. The Republic of China protected it from the People’s Republic by transferring it temporarily in 1978.
In the early 1970s, President Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger initiated a rapprochement with China. In February 1973, they agreed to open liaison offices in Washington and Beijing. Huang Zhen led the Chinese delegation. The delegation stayed at the Mayflower Hotel.
Huang Zhen tried to purchase the Ramada Inn on Thomas Circle for the chancery. When negotiations failed, the liaison office was established on Connecticut Avenue NW. The Chinese team moved in shortly thereafter. On January 1, 1979, it became a full embassy.
In 1973, Huang identified houses on S Street NW for senior staff residences. China purchased two houses: the former home of William Richards Castle Jr. and the home of William Andrew Mearns and Edward Stellwagen. The latter became the ambassador’s residence.
The current chancery building was constructed from 2005 to 2009. Pei Partnership Architects designed it. The first day of operation was April 1, 2009.
Soon after the embassy opened in 1979, members of the Revolutionary Communist Party vandalized it. They were protesting Deng Xiaoping’s visit to the United States. In 2014, the Uyghur American Association protested in front of the embassy. They were commemorating the Ghulja Incident. In January 2022, a protest against China’s hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics was held.
In June 2014, Senator Ted Cruz proposed renaming the street in front of the embassy “Liu Xiaobo Plaza”. This proposal faced opposition. In 2020, senators proposed renaming the street after Li Wenliang. He was the whistleblower who drew attention to the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan.
The Embassy of China stands as a testament to the ongoing dialogue between two global powers. It is a place where history is made and futures are negotiated. As we conclude our visit, consider the weight of diplomacy and the stories that unfold within these walls.