Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2005

Citation Doctor o f Laws, honoris causa Mr. Wang Daohan S h a n g h a i t o d a y is i m p r e s s i ve f o r its w e a l t h a nd prosperity. T h r o u g h o ut the bustling city one finds delightful wa l k s along t r e e - l i n e d b o u l e v a r d s a nd avenues, i n the shades of the foliage. But it h ad no t a l wa y s b e en so, c e r t a i n ly n ot i n the 1980s, w h e n S h a n g h a i w a s j u s t e m e r g i n g f r o m t he devastations o f the decades before. I t was M r . Wa n g Da o h a n , M a y o r at the time, w h o u s he r ed i n changes a n d r e f o rms t h at gave the me t r o p o l is its new, g l o r i o u s face, a nd p r e p a r ed he r f or a p e r i od o f u n s u r p a s s e d g r o w t h a nd magnificence. Mr . Wa n g Da o h a n is the presiden t of the Association for Relations Across the Ta i wa n Straits (ARATS). He wa s b o r n i n 1915 a n d his native place is Jiashan in A n h u i Province. Un d e r the influence of his father, he developed at an early age an interest i n classical poetry a n d w i t h his s h a r p i n t e l l i g e n ce q u i c k l y mastered the ancient art. A t the age o f 11 he left h ome for Na n j i n g, wh e r e he enrolled at the secondar y school attached to Southeast University. U p o n graduation he was admitted to Jiaotong Un i v e r s i ty i n Shanghai, wh e re he started i n Me c h a n i c al E n g i n e e r i n g but, o n the basis of his h i g h academic results, was later transferred to the Physics De p a r t me n t . W h e n th e w a r against Japanese aggression began, a s t r o ng sense of d u t y calle d h i m to a r ms a nd he e n r o l l ed i n the N e w F o u r t h A r m y . He s e r v ed i n a n u m b er of m i l i t a r y and civic capacities, seeing action in northern Jiangsu a n d s o u t h e r n H u a i n a n. A f t e r 1949 he was successively the Directo r of Finance of H a n g z h o u, the D i r e c t or o f Finance a nd t h e n of C o mm e r ce of Z h e j i a n g, a n d t h e Director of I n d u s t r y i n Eastern China. Later he w a s a p p o i n t e d as t h e F i r s t D e p u t y M i n i s t er for Mechanical Industries, the First D e p u t y Ch a i r ma n of the Co u n c il on External Economic Relations, Memb e r of the Na t i o n a l I m p o r t a n d E x p o r t Council, and th e D e p u ty D i r e c t o r o f t h e F o r e i g n I n v e s t m e nt Regulatory Boa r d . D u r i n g t h is phase o f his p u b l ic service he u n d e r t o ok m a n y overseas t r i p s as th e h e a d of v a r i o us d e l e g a t i o n s, v i s i t i n g c o u n t r i e s i n Ea s t e rn E u r o p e, the M i d d l e East a n d Africa. W i t h his i mm e n s e e x p e r i e n c e, outstanding capabilities and exemplary virtues, M r . Wa ng Da o h a n was appointed the M a y o r of Shanghai i n 1981. D u r i ng hi s t e rm he p u t his heart a nd s o ul t o the o p e n i n g u p of the c i t y a n d t he n e c e s s a ry r e f o r m s. A l l his me a s u r es w e r e d e s i g n ed f o r the greatest benefit of his citizens, a nd he was q u i c k to accept w i s e c oun s el w h e n e v e r o f f e r ed. A ma s t er p l a n n e r , he b o u g h t i n a d v a n c e d technology, w i t h spectacular results. The 62nd Congregation 3 9