Qin Huasun

In this Chinese name, the family name is Qin.

Qin Huasun
秦华孙
Qin in 1995
Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations
In office May 1995 – February 2000
Preceded by	Li Zhaoxing
Succeeded by	Wang Yingfan
Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office March 1993 – February 1995
Minister	Qian Qichen
Personal details
Born	September 1935 Gaoyou, Jiangsu, China
Died	3 February 2017(2017-02-03) (aged 81) Beijing, China
Political party	Chinese Communist Party
Alma mater	China Foreign Affairs University
Occupation	Diplomat

Qin Huasun (Chinese: 秦华孙; September 1935 – 3 February 2017) was a Chinese diplomat who served as the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations from 1995 to 2000 and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1995.

Early life

Born in 1935 in the city of Gaoyou in Jiangsu, Qin graduated from China Foreign Affairs University in 1961 and in the same year, joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.^[1]

Diplomatic career

In 1961, he was assigned to the Information Department of the ministry and served till 1969. From 1971 to 1980, he served as third secretary and then second secretary at the Embassy of China in Sierra Leone. After returning to China, Qin served as the director and later counsellor of the Information Department, for four years.^[1]

Qin was appointed as the deputy permanent representative and counselor of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland in 1984, and from 1987 to 1990, he served as the permanent representative, ambassador, and party secretary of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations Office at Vienna, Austria. From 1990 to 1993, he served as the Director General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences within the ministry and in 1993, he was appointed as the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs.^[1]

Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations

Qin was appointed as the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations in July 1995, succeeding Li Zhaoxing. During his tenure, in January 1997, China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution which would have sent United Nations peacekeeping forces to Guatemala to monitor a peace agreement which bought an end to the Guatemalan Civil War due to the Guatemalan government inviting Taiwanese officials to the peace ceremony and Taiwan's diplomatic ties with Guatemala.^[2] China again used its veto in February 1999 to block sending United Nations peacekeeping forces to Macedonia after Macedonia established diplomatic ties with Taiwan.^[3] These two vetoes were the fourth and fifth vetoes used by China in the Security Council.^[4][5] Qin was elected as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and became a member of the foreign affairs committee in March 1998.^[1]

When 11 countries which had diplomatic ties with Taiwan endorsed Taiwan's bid to the United Nations on 24 July 1998, Qin wrote a letter to then United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan where he criticized the countries for their "brazen attempt [...] at splitting a sovereign state".^[6][7] On 7 May 1999, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia when the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, was bombed by the United States, resulting in the deaths of three Chinese nationals, Qin termed the bombing "barbarian" and convened an emergency Security Council meeting in response to the bombing.^[8] His tenure also saw humanitarian crises in Burundi, Kosovo and East Timor.^[9][10][11] He stepped down as permanent representative in February 2000.^[12]

Later life

Qin retired in 2004.^[1] In 2010, he published his book Ambassador's Memoir: Representing China in the UN, which recounted his experiences as permanent representative.^[13] He died of illness at the age of 81, on 3 February 2017.^[14]

References

1. "Qin Huasun". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
2. Tyler, Patrick E. (12 January 1997). "China Asserts Taiwan's Ties To Guatemala Led to Veto". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
3. Goldman, John J. (25 February 1999). "China Vows Veto of Macedonia Force Renewal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
4. Thareima, Chandam (30 May 2021). "China's Changing Role in The United Nations Security Council, 2007–2017". Institute of Chinese Studies Delhi. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
5. "The Veto" (PDF). Security Council Report. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
6. Qin, Huasun. "Letter dated 22 July 1997 from the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General" (PDF). Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations (UN Digital Library). Retrieved 4 June 2024.
7. "Asiaweek.com". CNN. 1998. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
8. Williams, Daniel (23 September 1998). "Missiles Hit Chinese Embassy". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
9. "Security Council Gravely Concerned At Downward Spiral Of Violence In Burundi, Calls For National Reconciliation Dialogue". United Nations Press. 15 May 1996. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
10. "Security Council demands immediate ceasefire in Kosovo in resolution adopted by 14 votes in favour, with China abstaining". Relief Web. 23 September 1998. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
11. Chu, Shulong (2018). "China, Asia and Issues of Sovereignty and Intervention" (PDF). Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
12. "中华人民共和国主席任免人员". Government of the People’s Republic of China. 25 February 2000. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
13. "秦华孙大使回忆中国驻南联盟使馆被炸事件". China News.com. 2 April 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
14. "中国前常驻联合国大使秦华孙逝世，享年82岁". The Paper. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2024.

External links

• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Qin, Huasun (1996). "The Importance of Observing UN Peacekeeping Norms". The Brown Journal of World Affairs. 3 (1): 35–40. JSTOR 24590392.

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Li Zhaoxing	Permanent Representative and Ambassador of China to the United Nations 1995–2000	Succeeded by Wang Yingfan