Xu Shoupeng

Xu Shoupeng, recorded in American correspondence as Tsu Shau Pang, worked in the Chinese legation under successive ministers and served as acting minister in 1882. During the debate over exclusion, he objected that a ten year prohibition on Chinese labor immigration was excessive and that return certificates would impose hardship. He proposed using consular passports countersigned by American customs officials as an alternative mechanism for documenting returning travelers. ¹

Xu later became a central figure in establishing China's diplomatic relationship with the Korean Empire. He negotiated with Korean foreign minister Pak Che-sun, and the treaty signed on September 11, 1899, treated the two governments as sovereign states. His work included arrangements for Chinese consular representation in Seoul, Incheon, and Busan. ¹

During the settlement of the Boxer crisis, Xu assisted Li Hongzhang and participated in negotiations with foreign representatives in Beijing. ¹