Doctor Hu Shih was the most remarkable Chinese intellectual of the 20th century. He was the leading pioneer of vernacular Chinese; it replaced the classical version that had been the written language for many centuries. It was widely adopted by schools and the media during the 1920s and revolutionised literacy in China. It is what Chinese and foreigners learn today. His lectures at Beijing University and elsewhere, 44 books and countless articles influenced tens of thousands of Chinese. He promoted family planning, equality for women and freedom of marriage and whether to have children. He said China should solve its many problems through research and analysis, not “isms”. From 1938-1942, as China’s ambassador in Washington DC, he persuaded President Franklin Roosevelt not to sign an agreement with Japan that would have prevented the attack on Pearl Harbour. His action helped China to win the war. His love life was equally dramatic – an arranged marriage at the age of 12 which produced three children and a lifelong love affair with a beautiful American Edith Clifford Williams; over 50 years, the two exchanged more than 300 letters. He never divorced, so Edith could not marry the love of her life. In the summer of 1953, Edith invited Hu and his wife to spend a month at her home in upstate New York. The two women behaved with perfect decorum – a tribute to the character of the man they shared.

The Speaker

Mark O’Neill was born in London, England and educated at Marlborough College and New College, Oxford. He worked in Washington, DC, Manchester and Belfast before coming to Hong Kong in 1978. He has lived in Asia ever since. He worked as a journalist for 30 years here, in Taiwan, India, the PRC and Japan, for Reuters, SCMP and many other publications. Since 2006, he has been writing books on Chinese history and society. Eight have editions in Chinese, simplified and traditional, as well as English, including “China’s Great Liberal of the 20th Century – Hu Shih”.

Venue: Online on Zoom, please sign up to receive the link

Admission: Free of charge, please register your attendance in advance

Booking: Please email membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk in advance to register your attendance