Han Xu

Han Xu (May 26, 1924 – July 19, 1994) was a Chinese diplomat who served as the Chinese Ambassador to the United States from 1985 to 1989, and as Vice Foreign Minister of China from 1982 to 1985.

Early life Han was born May 26, 1924, in Jiangning County, Jiangsu Province.

His father, Shen Jiayi , served as a grand justice during the rule of the Chinese Nationalist Government. Because of his father's position in the government, Han received an elite education. In the 1940s, he studied at Yenching University in Beijing where he met Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders including the future Premier Zhou Enlai. Following his graduation from Yenching, Han worked as an English professor at the North China Allied University for several years where he met his wife, Ge Jiyun.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Han joined the CCP forces as a guerrilla fighter. His unit helped to rescue American pilots who were shot down by the Japanese over the mountainous areas of northern China. He kept bank notes signed by the pilots he helped save as souvenirs.

In 1985, Han returned to Washington to become the third Chinese ambassador to the United States. In the aftermath 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, the Chinese government and the Chinese Embassy in the United States found themselves flooded with demands for a response. On June 24, 1989, nearly three weeks after the conclusion of the events in Beijing, Han penned an article in The New York Times. It overwhelmingly supported the government action, while also acknowledging the "unfortunate loss of life" that had occurred: "There was, I regret to say, loss of life on both sides. I wonder whether any other government confronting such an unprecedented challenge would have handled the situation any better than mine did."

Later life After leaving his position as ambassador in 1989, Han was made chairman of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. As chair, he continued to meet with current and former U.S. officials such as former president Richard Nixon.

On July 19, 1994, Han died of cancer in his Beijing home. When Henry Kissinger learned of his death, he remarked that Han "did many extraordinary things to further Chinese-American relations."