[1][2] Shi was born in the port city of Ningbo, in Zhejiang Province, China, on 9 October 1926.

His father, an importer and merchant of dyes who had six children, relocated the family to Shanghai in 1927.

He grew up in a relatively wealthy household, and was educated in English at the British-run Lester Institute, before going on to study law at Saint John's University, Shanghai, where he obtained a bachelor's degree on politics.

From 1956 to 1958, he held various teaching and fellowship positions at international affairs colleges and institutes around Beijing.

The foreign minister of the People's Republic of China Tang Jiaxuan sent his personal warm congratulations to Shi.