Shen, Keqin, 1923-

Taiwanese writer and diplomat; secretary to General Sun Liren; ambassador to Thailand, 1975-1989.

From the description of Shen Keqin papers, 1944-2009. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 754864484

Biographical Note

Shen Keqin (1921- ) was Republic of China representative to Thailand (1975-89) and director of the Executive Yuan (1989-90).

From 1949 to 1953, Shen served as secretary to Sun Liren (1899-1990), a general in Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese Nationalist Army. Sun's major military achievements-defeating the Japanese in Burma during World War II and leading the First Army to Manchuria to fight the Chinese Communists-earned him the nickname of "ever victorious general." A graduate of Purdue University and the Virginia Military Institute, Sun also served under the command of General Joseph W. Stilwell and was deemed "one of the ablest, bravest as well as one of the most 'Western-minded' leaders in the Chinese Nationalist high command" by Time magazine. In 1955, while serving as chief of staff, Sun was accused of conspiring to overthrow Chiang Kai-shek's regime in Taiwan. For more than thirty-three years, until his exoneration in 1988, Sun remained under house arrest in Taichung, Taiwan. Not until 2001 did the Control Yuan release a report that posthumously cleared Sun of all charges of wrongdoing and declared there was no evidence to support his involvement in the coup d'etat plot.

From the guide to the Shen Keqin papers, 1944-2009, (Hoover Institution Archives)