Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/796

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CHINA.

(Chung-Hua Min-Ktto.) Government.

On February 12, 1912, China, the oldest of Monarchies, became a Republic.

The Chinese Imperial family was of Manchu origin, dating from 1644, and was styled Ta Ch'ing Ch'ao ('Great Pure Dynasty'). The last Emperor, P'u-yi, was the tenth of the line ; but the official genealogy is carried back six generations earlier than the real founder, and P'u-yi's will be the sixteenth name in the canonized series of Ta Ch'ing Emperors. He was born on February 11. 1906, succeeded his uncle the Emperor Kuang-Hsii on November 14, 1908, and abdicated on February 12, 1912. He retains the title of Manchu Emperor, but with his death the title will cease. For account of the Revolution of 1911, see Statesman's Year-Book for 1912, pp. 699-701, and for later developments, see Statesman's Year-Book for 1919, pp. 740-41.

The Government is composed of a President, a Vice-President, and a bi-cameral legislature consisting of a Senate (Tsan Yi Yuan) of 264 members and a House of Representatives (Chung Yi Yuan) of 596 members.

But the Central Government is still unable to rule the country completely. As a matter of fact, powerful military governors (Tuchuns) have established themselves in several provinces and are practically independent of the Government in Peking.

President. — Hsu-Shih-Ch'ang, born in Honan, 1853, elected President, August 10, 1918. Inaugurated October 10, 1918.

Executive authority is provisionally vested in a Premier nominated by the President and a Cabinet of nine Ministers nominated by the Premier. All appointments require the sanction of both Houses of Parliament.

The Cabinet, reorganised on August 11, 1920, is composed as follows : —

Premier. — ChinYun Teng.

Minister of the Interior. — Chang Chih-t'an.

Minister of Foreign Affairs. — W. W. Yen.

Minister for War. — Chin Yun-P'Sng.

Minister of the Navy. — Sa Chen Ping.

Minister of Finance. — Chow Tse-ch'i.

Minister of Education. — Fan Yuan-lien.

Minister of Justice. — Tung K'ang.

Minister of Communications. — Yeh Kung-cho.

Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. — Wang Nai-ping

A number of Foreign Advisers have been appointed to the Government. There are also many foreigners in the government employ in the various departments.

The Republic has adopted a now flag on which the old yellow dragon has been replaced by five stripes — crimson, yellow, blue, white and black — to denote the five races comprised in the Chinese people, Mongol, Chinese, Manchu, Turki (Mohammedan natives of Chinese Turkostmi), ami Tibetan.

Local Governmkkt.

Under the monarchy each of the 22 provinces was ruled by a Viceroy placed over one, two, or three provinces, or by a Governor over a single