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The Abortive Liberation of Taiwan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Jon W. Huebner
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Extract

On 1 October 1949 the People's Republic of China was formally established in Beijing. On 7 December Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi), who had earlier moved to Taiwan to secure a final base of resistance in the civil war, ordered the Kuomintang (KMT) regime to withdraw to the island from Chengdu, Sichuan, its last seat on the mainland. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) declared its commitment to the goal of unifying the nation under the People's Republic, and thus called for the “liberation” of Taiwan. Although Taiwan represented the final phase of the still unfinished civil war, it was the strategic significance of the island that became of paramount concern to the CCP, the KMT and the United States.

Type
Research Article
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 110 , June 1987 , pp. 256 - 275
Copyright
Copyright © The China Quarterly 1987

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References

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5. FRUS, 1947, VII, pp. 439–40, 449.

6. Nanjing radio, 19 March 1947 in United States Central Intelligence Agency, Foreign Broadcast Information Service (Far Eastern Section) (FBIS), No. 19–1947.

7. FRUS, 1947, VII, p. 442.

8. Ibid. pp. 451–55.

9. Ibid. p. 452. On Taiwanese political developments under Japanese rule, see Kerr, George H., Formosa: Licensed Revolution and the Home Rule Movement, 1895–1945 (Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1974)Google Scholar; Edward I-te, Chen, “Formosan political movements under Japanese colonial rule, 1914–1937,” The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 31, No. 3 (05 1972), pp. 477–98Google Scholar; Hsiao, Frank ST. and Sullivan, Lawrence R., “A political history of the Taiwanese Communist Party, 1928–1931,” The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 42, No. 2 (02 1983), pp. 269–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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13. Xinhua (New China) radio, (Beiping), 2 May 1949 in FBIS, No. 84–1949.

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17. XHNA, 16 March 1949 in FBIS, No. 51–1949.

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19. Beiping radio, 29 May 1949 in FBIS, No. 103–1949.

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23. XHNA, 4 January 1950.

24. Ibid, 3 January 1950.

25. United States Department of State, Department of State Bulletin, Vol. 21, No. 523(11 July 1949), p. 34.

26. Department of State Bulletin, Vol. 22, No. 548 (2 January 1950), p. 24.

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29. Cf. Nolde, “The U.S. and the Chinese 'blockade,'” pp. 59–61.

30. See, e.g. Jiefang ribao, 27 July 1949 in CPR, No. 938.

31. Jiefang ribao, 26 January 1950.

32. Ibid 1 and 8 February 1950; XHNA, 8 February 1950.

33. Shanghai radio, 9 February 1950 in FBIS, No. 29–1950.

34. Taibei radio, 6 February 1950 in FBIS, No. 26–1950.

35. XHNA, 10 February 1950. During the autumn of 1949 the CCP circulated unsubstantiated reports that approximately 4,000 former Japanese air force and naval personnel had, with the assistance of the American occupation authorities in Japan, been recruited for the Chiang regime and sent to Taiwan for combat duty. XHNA, 15 September 1949; Dagong bao and Wenhui bao, 22 November 1949 in CPR, No. 1002. On the use of Japanese by both the Chiang regime and the CCP, see Gillin, Donald G. with Charles, Etter, “Staying on: Japanese soldiers and civilians in China, 1945–1949,” The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 42, No. 3 (05 1983), pp. 497–518.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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37. Xinhua radio (North Shaanxi), 15 March 1949 in United States Consulate General, Beiping. Radio Broadcasts of Communist Hsin Hua Station, North Shensi, 15 March 1949; North Shaanxi radio, 15 March 1949 in FBIS, No. 50–1949; XHNA, 16 March 1949 in FBIS, No. 51–1949. Such an argument regarding the status of Taiwan was also contained in a 19 January 1949 draft report of the U.S. National Security Council. FRUS, 1949, IX, pp. 271–73.

38. Renmin ribao (People's Daily)(Beijing), 4 September 1949 in Taiwan wenti (The Taiwan Problem) (Beijing: Xinhua shudian, 1950), pp. 1–3; XHNA, 5 September 1949.

39. XHNA, 3 January 1950.

40. Harbin radio, 16 March 1949 in FBIS, No. 52–1949. Also see Zheng Liufang, Meiguo dui Taiwan de qinlue (U.S. Aggression Against Taiwan) (Beijing: Shijie zhishi chuban she, 1954), Ch. 3, especially pp. 21–23. For a viewpoint sympathetic to the independence movement, see Douglas Mendel, The Politics of Formosan Nationalism (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970). Regarding U.S. support for Taiwanese separatism, see the National Security Council report of 3 February 1949. FRUS, 1949, IX, p. 281; Joint Chiefs of Staff memorandum, 10 February 1949, Ibid. p. 286.

41. Renmin ribao, 14 January 1950; XHNA. 15 January 1950.

42. Renmin shouce (1950) (People's Handbook [1950]) (Shanghai: Dagong bao chuban she, 1950), pp. chou 16, 19. On the regional administrative structure, see also Franz, Schurmann, Ideology and Organization in Communist China (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968), pp. 210–16Google Scholar; Arthur Steiner, H., “New regional governments in China,” Far Eastern Survey, Vol. 19, No. 11 (31 05 1950), pp. 112–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

43. XHNA, 19 August 1949; cf. Jiefang ribao, 22 August 1949 in CPR, No. 954.

44. XHNA, 30 May 1950.

45. Dagong bao, 23 August 1949 in CPR, No. 956.

46. Chongqing radio, 26 October 1949 in FBIS, No. 208–1949.

47. Taiwan radio. 8 November 1949 in FBIS, No. 217–1949.

48. Taibei radio, 31 October 1949 in FBIS, No. 211–1949.

49. Taiwan radio, 8 November 1949 in FBIS, No. 217–1949.

50. Chongqing radio, 29 October 1949 in FBIS, No. 211–1949.

51. Taiwan radio, 7 November 1949 in FBIS, No. 217–1949.

52. Dagong bao, 29 August 1949 in CPR, No. 961.

53. Dagong bao, 29 August 1949 in CPR, No. 962; Dagong bao, 19 October 1949 in CPR, No. 994.

54. Dagong bao, 29 August 1949 in CPR, No. 962.

55. Dagong bao, 29 August 1949 in CPR, No. 961.

56. Jiefang ribao, 27 July 1949 in CPR, No. 939.

57. Dagong bao, 29 August 1949 in CPR, No. 961.

58. XHNA, 8 February 1950.

59. Jiefang ribao, 4 February 1950.

60. Ibid. 13 February 1950.

61. Ibid. 16 and 19 February 1950.

62. Hong Kong radio, 13 February 1950 in FBIS, No. 32–1950.

63. Hong Kong radio, 8 May 1950 in FBIS, No. 90–1950.

64. XHNA, 2 May 1950.

65. Ibid. 6 May 1950.

66. Ibid. 15 May 1950. There is no reference to Mazu, however.

67. Ibid. 18 and 20 May 1950.

68. Shanghai radio, 18 May 1950 in FBIS, No. 98–1950.

69. Beijing radio, 29 May 1950 in FBIS, No. 106–1950.

70. XHNA, 30 May 1950.

71. Ibid. 20 and 26 May 1950.

72. Muller, David G. Jr, China as a Maritime Power (Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1983), p. 16.Google Scholar

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74. Hong Kong radio, 16 May 1950 in FBIS. No. 96–1950.

75. Voice of Free China, 8 June 1950 in FBIS, No. 112–1950.

76. Voice of Free China, 20 June 1950 in FBIS, No. 120–1950.

77. Strong to Secretary of State Acheson, 17 May 1950, FRUS, 1950, VI, p. 340.

78. United States Congress, Senate, Military Situation in the Far East (Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Relations, 82nd Congress), Pt 4, p. 2621.

79. Muller, China as a Maritime Power, pp. 16–17.

80. Joint chiefs of staff to Secretary of Defence Johnson, 28 July 1950, FRUS, 1950, VI, p. 395.

81. XHNA, 1 March 1950.

82. Ibid. 28 February 1950.

83. Ibid. 30 April 1950.

84. Ibid. 27 June 1950.

85. Department of State Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 574 (3 July 1950), p. 5. See also FRUS, 1950, VII, pp. 157–58, 179–81, 202–203, 240–41; Truman, Harry S, Memoirs, Vol. 2, Years of Trial and Hope (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1956), pp. 334ff.Google Scholar; Dean, Acheson, Present at the Creation: My Years in the State Department (New York: Norton, 1969), pp. 405–409.Google Scholar

86. Department of State Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 574 (3 July 1950), p. 5, and Vol. 23, No. 578 (31 July 1950), pp. 165–66; FRUS, 1950, VII, p. 187.

87. Taiwan wenti wenjian (TWWT) (Documents on the Taiwan Problem) (Beijing: Renmin chuban she, 1955), pp. 9—10; Zhonghua renmin gonghe guo duiwai guanxi wenjian ji (WJJ) (Collected Documents on the Foreign Relations of the People's Republic of China), Vol. I (Beijing: Shijie zhishi chuban she, 1957), pp. 130–32; XHNA, 28 June 1950.

88. TWWT, p. 8; WJJ, I, p. 130. See also XHNA, 28 June 1950; Beijing radio, 29 June 1950 in FBIS, No. 127–1950.

89. TWWT, pp. 9–12; Renmin ribao, 29 June 1950; XHNA, 29 June 1950; Beijing radio, 29 June 1950 in FBIS, No. 127–1950.

90. TWWT, pp. 9–10; WJJ, I, pp. 131–32.

91. XHNA, 30 June 1950; Shanghai radio, Xian radio, and Wuhan radio, 30 June 1950 in FBIS, No. 128–1950.

92. Beijing radio, 1 July 1950 in FBIS, No. 128–1950.

93. Beijing radio, 4 July 1950 in FBIS, No. 130–1950.

94. XHNA, 1 July 1950.

95. XHNA, 8 July 1950; Beijing radio, 8 July 1950 in FBIS, No. 132–1950.

96. Renmin ribao, 5, 7, and 28 August 1950; XHNA, 6 and 13 August 1950; Beijing radio, 5 August 1950 in FBIS, No. 152–1950.

97. XHNA, 11 July 1950; Beijing radio, 11 July 1950 in FBIS, No. 134–1950 and 15 July 1950 in FBIS, No. 138–1950.

98. XHNA, 23 July 1950.

99. Beijing radio, 20 July 1950 in FBIS, No. 141–1950.

100. Beijing radio, 1 August 1950 in FBIS, No. 149–1950. See also Jiefangribao, 31 July 1950; XHNA, 5 August 1950; Beijing radio, 4 August 1950 and Shanghai radio, 6 August 1950 in FBIS, No. 153–1950.

101. Beijing radio, 11 August 1950 in FBIS, No. 158–1950.

102. Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defence Johnson, 28 July 1950, FRUS, 1950, VI, p. 395; Johnson to Secretary of State Acheson, 29 July 1950, Ibid. p. 401.

103. Taibei radio, 31 July 1950 in FBIS, No. 148–1950. The Chiang regime openly resented Truman's prohibition against bombing troop concentrations and other targets on the mainland.

104. Taibei radio, 17 August 1950 in FBIS, No. 161–1950.

105. Taibei radio, 24 August 1950 in FBIS, No. 166–1950.

106. Taibei radio, 12 August 1950 in FBIS, No. 157–1950.

107. Secretary of State Acheson to Embassy in Great Britain, 13 August 1950, FRUS, 1950, VI, p. 432.

108. Consul-General at Hong Kong (Wilkinson) to Secretary of State Acheson, 22 September 1950, FRUS, 1950, VII, p. 765.

109. Clubb to assistant secretary of state for far eastern affairs (Dean Rusk), 27 September 1950, FRUS, 1950, VII, pp. 795–96. Clubb did not spell out what these indications were.

110. CIA memorandum, 12 October 1950, FRUS, 1950, VI, pp. 529–31. On 31 September 1950 Zhou Enlai reported to the National Committee of the Chinese People's Consultative Conference that the Chiang regime had left behind on the mainland more than one million agents, and that PLA mopping up operations during the preceding year had reduced that number to about 200,000. XHNA, 1 October 1950.

111. Military Situation in the Far East, Part 1, p. 22.

112. William, Whitson, The Chinese High Command: A History of Communist Military Politics, 1927–71 (New York: Praeger, 1973), pp. 247–48. Unfortunately, no source is given.Google Scholar

113. Taibei radio, 26 April 1951 in FBIS, No. 87–1951.

114. Renmin ribao, 23 December 1950; XHNA, 23 December 1950.

115. Muiler, China as a Maritime Power, p. 52.

116. Ibid.