15 Facts About Eugene Chen

Eugene Chen or Chen Youren, known in his youth as Eugene Bernard Achan, was a Chinese Trinidadian lawyer who in the 1920s became Chinese foreign minister.

Eugene Chen was known for his success in promoting Sun Yat-sen's anti-imperialist foreign policies.

Eugene Chen was the oldest of Chen Guangquan and Mary Longchallon's three sons.

Eugene Chen immigrated to the French West Indies where he met his wife, Mary Longchallon, a Chinese immigrant.

Eugene Chen took the Trans-Siberian Railroad, and shared the journey with Wu Liande, a physician born in Malaysia.

Eugene Chen had given up his initial support for Yuan Shikai and became a strong critic of the government, accusing it of "selling China", for which offence he was imprisoned.

In 1918, Eugene Chen joined Sun in Canton to support the southern government, which he helped to represent at the Paris Peace Conference, where he opposed Japanese and British plans regarding China.

In 1922, Eugene Chen became Sun's closest adviser on foreign affairs, and developed a leftist stance of anti-imperialist nationalism and support of Sun's alliance with the Soviet Union.

When Chiang Kai-shek's Northern Expedition appeared on the verge of unifying the country, Eugene Chen joined the rival Nationalist government at Wuhan.

Eugene Chen presented the demands of the Nationalists: the restoration of "the lost independence of China", and "the cancellation of the unequal treaties on which the regime of foreign imperialism in China is based".

Eugene Chen was frustrated at the Russians attempting to establish a leftist Chinese front, and soon left Moscow.

Eugene Chen again headed to Europe for refuge at Paris, but returned to Hong Kong.

Eugene Chen was taken to Shanghai in the spring of 1942 in hopes of persuading him to support the Japanese puppet government, but he remained loudly critical of that "pack of liars" until his death in May, 1944, at the age of 66.

In 1899, Eugene Chen married Agatha Alphosin Ganteaume, known as Aisy, a French Creole whose wealthy father owned one of the largest estates in Trinidad.

Eugene Chen's great-granddaughter is Yolanda Chen, a retired athlete and daughter of Yevgeniy Chen.