Waijiao Shengya Sishinian = Forty Years in Diplomacy / Feng-Shan Ho was a diplomat for China during a turning point in the county's history. In 2001, he was posthumously honored by Yad Vashem for issuing visas to Jews when he was Consul General in Vienna from 1938 to 1940. His struggle in diplomacy was fighting for the dying Republic of China under Chiang Kai-shek as the country shifted from a republican to a communist state. This struggle is brought to life through Ho's account of his ambassadorships in Egypt and Mexico. In retrospect, the efforts of Ho and the Nationalists ultimately failed; however, Ho's career is marked by many professional and personal successes that promoted the cause of Nationalist China.
My Forty Years as a Diplomat recounts Feng-Shan Ho's personal observations and conversations with important political and diplomatic figures around the world, providing a unique view of this important moment in Chinese history. Throughout his diplomacy, Ho was a steadfastly loyal and moral man who possessed ambition and fortitude, valued education and discipline, fought for righteousness, was compassionate to those in need, and liked nothing better than a good conversation with a friend. His autobiography contains valuable material for the study of modern history, as well as for the observation and contemplation of intelligent readers.
