Xu Jingcheng

Xu Jingcheng (Hsü Ching-ch'eng 許景澄)
A photograph of Xu Jingcheng
Native name	許景澄
Born	1845 Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, Qing Empire
Died	28 July 1900(1900-07-28) (aged 54–55) Caishikou Execution Grounds, Beijing, Qing Empire
Pen name	Zhúyún Chinese: 竹筠
Occupation	Diplomat Qing Vice Minister, Ministry of Personnel, Three Departments and Six Ministries Hanlin Academy Bachelor of the six offices of scrutinity (Chinese: 翰林院庶吉士), compiler (Chinese: 翰林院編修), Academician Expositor-in-waiting (Chinese: 翰林院侍講(1868–1884) Qing Envoy to France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany(1884–1885) Qing Envoy to Belgium, France, and Germany(1885–1890) Qing Envoy to Russia, Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany(1890–1892) Grand Secretariat (Chinese: 內閣學士) and Attendant Gentleman of the Ministry of Rites (Chinese: 禮部侍郎銜)(1892–1895) Senior Vice Minister of Department of Public Works, Qing China(Chinese: 工部左侍郎)(1895-1899) Qing Envoy to Germany (1897) Vice Minister of Zongli Yamen (Office of Foreign Affairs), Qing China (Chinese: 總理各國事務衙門大臣) (1895-1899) Qing China(1895-1899) Inspecter General, Chinese Eastern Railway (Chinese: 中東鐵路公司督辦)(1895-1899) Senior Vice Minister of Ministry of Personnel, Qing China Chinese: 吏部右侍郎旋遷左侍郎 (1899-1900) Minister of Education and Superintendent of the Imperial University of Peking (now Peking University, Qing China (Chinese: 京師大學堂（今北京大學）總教習，管學大臣) (1899-1900)
Nationality	Qing Chinese

Xu Jingcheng (Chinese: 許景澄; 1845 – 28 July 1900) was a Chinese diplomat and Qing politician supportive of the Hundred Days' Reform. He was envoy to Belgium, France, Italy, Russia, Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany for the Qing imperial court and led reforms in modernizing China's railways and public works. As a modernizer and diplomat, he protested the breaches of international law in 1900 as one of the five ministers executed during the Boxer Rebellion. In Article IIa of the of 1901, the Eight-Nation Alliance that had provided military forces (Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) successfully pressed for the rehabilitation of Xu Jingcheng by an Imperial Edict of the Qing government:

Imperial Edict of the 13th February last rehabilitated the memories of Hsu Yung-yi, President of the Board of War; Li Shan, President of the Board of Works; Hsu Ching Cheng, Senior VicePresident of the Board of Civil Office; Lien Yuan, Vice-Chancellor of the Grand Council; and Yuan Chang, Vice-President of the Court of Sacrifices, who had been put to death for having protested against the outrageous breaches of international law of last year.

Xu Jingcheng was born in 1845 in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, and received his jinshi degree after the 1868 imperial examination. He began his civil service as a bureaucrat in the Hanlin Academy serving as the Bachelor of the six offices of Scrutiny (Chinese: 翰林院庶吉士), a compiler (Chinese: 翰林院編修), and an Academician Expositor-in-waiting (Chinese: 翰林院侍講)until 1884.