Chen Jitong

Chen Jitong . diplomat, general and scholar during the late Qing dynasty. Chen was born in Houguan, in present day Fuzhou. In 1869 he started to study French language at the school attached to the Fuzhou shipyward. In 1876, he was selected to accompany Shen Baozhen to Europe and he wrote a book on his impressions after his return to China the following year. He subsequently served on a number of important positions in the Qing foreign service. While serving as a diplomat in France, he wrote several famous works in French, becoming the first Francophone Chinese author.

In 1891, he was dismissed from all official positions and settled in Shanghai. Following China's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, he served as foreign minister of the short-lived Republic of Formosa.