Chen Lanbin

Chen Lanbin (Traditional Chinese: 陳蘭彬; Simplified Chinese: 陈兰彬; Hanyu Pinyin: Chén Lánbīn) (1816–1895), courtesy name Li Qiu (荔秋) was the first Chinese Minister to the United States during the Qing Dynasty.

Chen was a native of Wuchuan City in Guangdong Province. He passed the highest imperial examination in 1853 at the age of 24 and entered the Hanlin Academy. He soon became the head of two departments of the Qing government in succession. He occupied numerous other positions until 1875, when he began acting as the government's representative in the United States. He was formally named the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Spain, and Peru in 1878, a position that he held until 1881.