V. K. Wellington Koo

Born in 1888 in Jiading, a suburb of Shanghai, China, Wellington Koo was China’s key diplomat throughout the first half of the 20th century, serving as ambassador to England, France, and the United States, and operating as foreign minister several times. His education in international law at Columbia University enabled him to engage with the international community to help China become an active participant in the world community. He is well known for his role at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, where he argued eloquently against ceding Shandong Province to Japan. When conference leaders decided to accommodate Japan’s request, Koo led China’s refusal to sign the treaty—the first time China had said “no” to the world’s powers. This action had a major impact in China, leading to changes in Chinese internal and external policies.
 
Throughout his career, Koo played an important role in building a strong relationship between the United States and China. The relationship he advocated became China’s state policy in the late 1930s. He was actively involved with America’s presidents, working with Woodrow Wilson on the League of Nations, with Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II and on the founding of the United Nations, and later with Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
 
He signed the United Nations Charter on behalf of China in 1945 and successfully worked to have China appointed as a permanent member of the Security Council, confirming China’s position as a key nation in the world community. Beyond his eloquence and charm, grounded in his expertise with international law, Koo believed strongly in the role of diplomacy in world affairs, based on the philosophy that holding “firm to one’s principles and being unwilling to compromise may be a good personal motto, but is unsuitable in diplomacy. In foreign affairs, one should aim for 51 percent of his goals and should be quite happy with 60 percent or more.”
 
As his final official position, Koo was elected by the UN General Assembly to serve as a judge on the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where he became vice president. Upon retirement, he chose New York as his home with his beloved wife, Juliana Young Koo. In New York, surrounded by his large family circle of Youngs and Koos, he enjoyed revisiting his Chinese roots through his interests in calligraphy, poetry, and the classics.

~ 2020 ~

Reprint of Pictorial Biography of V. K. WEllingting Koo 

Partner: Shanghai Library
In the afternoon of January 16, the Shanghai Library held a book event for the reprint of "A Pictorial Biography of V. K. Wellington Koo" to celebrate Koo's 132th Birthday.  This book was first published by Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House in 2006.  Over ten precious photos of Koo in his early years was added to this reprinted edition.  One of the authors, professor Guangyao Jin, also gave a powerpoint presentation "Wellington Koo the Diplomat: from Shanghai to the World."

~ 2019 ~

WEllingting Koo the Diplomat: A Life in Song

Partner: US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, Columbia University 
On September 30, 2019 at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, the concert “Wellington Koo the Diplomat: a Life in Song” celebrates Wellington Koo’s diplomatic contributions and China’s relationship with America through history.  This multi-media presentation was directed by film director Sherwood Hu consists of narration using Koo’s own words from his autobiography by actor Luoyong Wang, Broadway’s original lead in Miss Saigon. Live performances accompanying the video are by Metropolitan Opera soprano Ying Huang and bass-baritone Shenyang, international violinist Dan Zhu, wunderkind pianist Niu Niu, Pingtan performers Haihua Huang and Jinghui Wu, and a world premiere chamber work by Peng Peng Gong.  This event also kicked off the newly designated Chinese American Heritage Week, recently established by resolution from the New York State Senate. 
Photograph ©Chris Lee

~ 2018 ~

Jiadong Wellington Koo Museum expansion & WELLINGTING KOO MEMORIAL CONCERT

On December 8, USCCI presented a multi-media concert at the Studio Theatre of the Poly Grand Theatre to celebrate the opening of the expanded Wellington Koo Museum in Jiading, Shanghai. Featuring renowned soprano Ying Huang, baritone Yunpeng Wang, violinist Mengla Huang, pianist Niu Niu Zhang, Tianjing Youyun Children's Chorus, the concert highlighted Wellington Koo's life with images and music of his time. 

Jiadong Wellington Koo Museum expansion & WELLINGTING KOO MEMORIAL CONCERT

Partner: Shanghai Jiading Museum
On December 8, 2018, the Wellington Koo Memorial Hall at Jiading Fahuata Tower, Shanghai, reopened.  After one and a half years, the current memorial hall has extended its size to twice as before, providing a more detailed account of the life of Wellington Koo. This reopening ceremony is also one of the commemorative activities of the 800th anniversary of the establishment of old town Jiading. 
 
The exhibition displays documents, pictures, videos, audios and a variety of other exhibits, including excerpts from the digital archive of Wellington Koo that were recently brought back home from America. All these exhibits altogether unfolded Wellington Koo’s life in an chronological order. Though born in a traditional Chinese family, Wellington Koo embraced and received an education that combined both Chinese and Western notions. Having witnessed the arrogance and violence of the western colonizers on the land of China, Wellington Koo determined to fight for national dignity and prosperity. He entered Columbia University and majored in international law and diplomacy. Since then, his whole life has been dedicated to Chinese diplomacy.
 
USCCI Chair Shirley Young and former US Ambassador Max Baucus both delivered remarks at the reopening ceremony. Chee-hwa Tung, Vice Chairman of the 13th CPPCC National Committee and the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,  also delivered a message at the event. 

~ 2017 ~

First Public Release of V.K. Wellington Koo's Archive of Personal Papers:
 Exhibition and Symposium

Partner: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Columbia University
The joint digitization project of V.K. Wellington Koo Archive was presented for the first time an exhibition & symposium by Institute of Modern History of Chinese Academy of Social Science, Columbia University Libraries.  The special exhibition, titled "Wellington Koo and Anti-Japanese War/Second Sino-Japanese War: Commemoration the 80th Anniversary for the Outbreak of the War" shared selected digital images of Koo's archive of personal papers.  This is the first time materials from the 300 boxes of papers and documents from Wellington Koo's personal archives covering his years as China's diplomat have been seen publicly.  Distinguished guests from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P.R. China, Institute of Modern History of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Committee of 100, as well as Koo's family representatives and renowned scholars attended.
The catalogue of digitized archive of Dr Koo's personal papers will be available for searching on the official website of Institute of Modern History, Chinese Academy of Social Science.

~ 2013 ~

The Symposium for the New Edition of the 13-volume Wellington Koo Memoirs

Partner: ​Institute of Modern History
The symposium for the new edition of the 13-volume Wellington Koo Memoirs was held in Beijing on August 20th, 2013. This was the first time that the 13-volume memoirs were published as a whole set. 

The Institute of Modern History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Zhonghua Book Company hosted the symposium. It was attended by staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and the National Library, as well as scholars studying modern history. Shirley Young, the President of U.S.-China Cultural Institute and the stepdaughter of Wellington Koo, was also in attendance. 

​It was also announced that Mr. Koo’s archive in Columbia University would be digitized and made available to scholars, with the collaboration of Columbia University, the Institute of Modern History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Shanghai Library.