Embassy of China in Washington, D.C.

Embassy of China, Washington, D.C.
Embassy of The People's Republic of China in The United States of America
中华人民共和国驻美利坚合众国大使馆
Coordinates 38°56′33″N 77°3′59″W / 38.94250°N 77.06639°W / 38.94250; -77.06639Coordinates: 38°56′33″N 77°3′59″W / 38.94250°N 77.06639°W / 38.94250; -77.06639
Location Washington, D.C.
Address 3505 International Place, N.W.
Ambassador Cui Tiankai

The Embassy of China in the U.S.A., Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of China to the United States. It is located at 3505 International Place, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Cleveland Park neighborhood.

The embassy also operates Consulates-General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City.[1]

The Ambassador is Cui Tiankai, who was appointed in April 2013. The previous ambassador was Zhang Yesui.[2]

History

The Qing Empire opened its first mission to the U.S. in 1875, with Chen Lanbin as Minister. From 1886 to 1893, the legation was located in Stewart's Castle on Dupont Circle,[3] then under Minister Wu Tingfang in the former mansion of Thomas Franklin Schneider at 18th & Q Street, NW.

In 1902, the Qing legation moved to a purpose-built mansion designed by Waddy Butler Wood on 2001 19th Street NW. It is the oldest extant building erected in Washington by a foreign government, following the demolition in 1931 of the former British Legation on Connecticut Avenue, built in 1872.[4] This became the legation of the Republic of China following the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. In 1935, the legation was upgraded to an embassy, and Alfred Sao-ke Sze became China's first ambassador to the U.S. The embassy remained in the same building until 1944, then moved to the former Fahnestock Mansion designed by Nathan C. Wyeth on 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW (now the embassy of Haiti), where it stayed until the late 1970s.

When the US established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, a liaison office was first established in 1973, led by Huang Zhen. It occupied two adjacent former apartment buildings at 2300 and 2310 Connecticut Avenue NW, and in 1979 became a fully-fledged embassy. These buildings were torn down in 2012 (except a 1922 façade on Connecticut Avenue) and are being replaced by an apartment house for Chinese embassy employees.[5]

The current building in the International Chancery Center was built in 2006-08 on a design by Pei Partnership Architects, with I. M. Pei as consultant.[6]

Controversy

In 2014 a proposal was made in the United States Congress to rename the street in front of the Chinese Embassy after the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. This would make the embassy's new address "1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza". [7] On February 12, 2016, the senate passed the proposal unanimously. On February 16, the administration announced that US President Barack Obama will veto legislation for the renaming act.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.visarite.com/chnConsulate.htm
  2. ↑ "Chinese Ambassadors to the United States of America". Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Lost History: Stewart's Castle on Dupont Circle". Ghosts of DC. March 28, 2013.
  4. ↑ James M. Goode (2003). Capital Losses: A Cultural History of Washington's Destroyed Buildings. Smithsonian. p. 264.
  5. ↑ John Kelly (November 2, 2013). "Confused by the facade that overlooks Connecticut Avenue? Here's the story.". Washington Post.
  6. ↑ Suevon Lee (May 28, 2008). "China's new embassy in U.S. reflects growing clout". New York Times.
  7. ↑ Beech, Hannah (25 June 2014). "Congress Votes to Rename Road by Chinese Embassy After Jailed Dissident". TIME Magazine. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "Obama to veto bill to rename Washington plaza after jailed China dissident". The Washington Post. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
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