The post Vietnam War generation and most certainly the younger generation today, those in their 30s and 40s, more than likely do not know or care about the tragic history of modern day Taiwan. When I use the word "tragic," I use it in a sense that it had been betrayed by its closest ally and is little recognized for its accomplishments and completely overshadowed by former enemy, the People's Republic of China (PRC). We, its biggest supposed supporter, have actually abandoned it in favor of better relations with PRC. It seems that for our government, everything revolves around what is politically expedient or what the policies of that particular administration dictate. Since we have a very short historical memory and seem to be concerned with what appears advantageous to us only at the present, our government tends to make some very rash and seemingly poor decisions.
Most of us of Vietnam War generation, especially those of us who lived in the Far East, may remember Taiwan fondly. Some of us may have actually lived in Taiwan when we still had military presence there in the 1960s and early 1970s. It would have been unthinkable for most us to think that our government would abandon Taiwan, our staunch ally, in order to better our relations with PRC. Ironically it was precisely because of the existence of PRC that we supported Taiwan and swore allegiance and undying support for that small island nation.
I know it came to me as a bit of a shock and an unpleasant surprise when our government announced in 1978 that we were going to break official ties with Taiwan! I did have a kind of a lingering suspicion that something like that was going to happen, especially in view of how quickly and unceremoniously we abandoned the Republic of Vietnam, the very country that we pledged to defend forever and where we lost over 55,000 American lives! But seeing as how it was Nixon who hatched the so-called "Vietnamization" policy which led to the abandonment of South Vietnam, I was not too surprised. Nixon's and Kissinger's trips to PRC that followed, getting chummy with Mao Tse Tung and Chou En Lai over Chinese brandy, sent a clear signal that somebody else was going to be sold down the river! In this case it was obvious - Taiwan!
I am sure that not everyone knows the background of our so-called alliance with Taiwan or Republic of China as it was more commonly called in the day. Our abandonment of Republic of China actually took place much earlier when we became disillusioned with the corrupt government of Koumintang (Nationalist Chinese Party) led by the dictator Chiang Kai Shek. Chiang was our ally during World War Two against Japan. However, we were having problems with him even then, not agreeing with his policies and not able to understand his thinking. When World War Two ended and full scale civil war broke out in China between the nationalists and Mao's communists, we were unsure who we should support. We sent missions to Yenan, Mao's communist stronghold, and decision makers in our government were divided in supporting the nationalists or communists. Ultimately, we simply withdrew and let them fight it out. But the nationalists took a beating and lost the civil war. Chiang asked for our help when he was losing, but we refused to send help to him.
Ultimately Chiang and the nationalists were chased off the mainland to Taiwan. No doubt the outcome would have been the same even if we had poured in more aid to the nationalists. So, when it came to Republic of China, 1949 was the first time that we abandoned the nationalists. However, Mao and his 8th Route Army stepped into Korea in late November of 1950 and the Korean War turned badly for us again. The South Korean Army and what there was of the unprepared US Army that was sent from Japan were routed in the initial stages of the war in the summer of 1950. After the Inchon Landing, the combined UN forces pushed all the way to the Manchurian border by Thanksgiving 1950, that was when the Chinese stepped in and once again routed the UN forces, pushing all the way into the south.
President Truman at this point knew that we needed allies to counter the Communist Chinese threat in Asia, and we had none! There were no Asian countries close by that could be deterrent to PRC, so we poured in aid to previously abandoned Nationalists and built up a strong military in Taiwan. This part of our history with Nationalist China and Taiwan is rarely mentioned or discussed in our history books, making it appear as if we supported the nationalists all the way through their civil war and escape to Taiwan. Such is not the case. We dumped them after World War Two but became bosom buddies when we needed them to counter PRC and swore undying support! Within a year after the cease fire in Korea, in 1954 we began to be involved in what was called French Indochina at the time. So, we needed Nationalist China even more as our involvement in Southeast Asia grew and we ultimately entered into a full blown war. Nationalist China and Taiwan was crucial to us at that stage.
But after we abandoned South Vietnam, and after Nixon and Kissinger traveled to PRC and became drinking buddies with Mao, we no longer needed Nationalist China. In fact, if anything, if we were to make friends with PRC, Taiwan had to go! So, in 1978 we announced that we would no longer maintain official relations with the Republic of China in Taiwan. We were going to abide by our one China policy.
In 1978 I was in the process of changing my careers from teaching at Chico State to joining the Foreign Service. At the time I taught a very popular course, Introduction to Asian Studies, which was essentially a historical/political survey course on Asia. Naturally, PRC and Nationalist China situation was covered quite a bit, and when we broke our relations with Taiwan, I was somewhat critical of our actions in my lectures. Some of my students knew that I was leaving soon to work for the State Department and asked me how I was going to reconcile my differences of opinion when I went to work for the government! It really made me stop and think. Also, at the time we had a "Junior Year in Taiwan" program. Fortunately, that program was not affected by the political changes!
Despite all of the negative things that befell Taiwan since 1978, it still managed to develop a strong economy on its own and become an economic power in Asia. Initially Taiwan was ruled by military dictatorship with Chiang Kai Shek at the helm. Chiang died in 1975 and his son took over. But gradually, even his successors began a democratization process which led to a complete change and a free election system. Today Taiwan, although not recognized by vast majority of countries in the world, still has an economy that is ranked 21st in the world and per capita income that ranks 17th! PRC insists that the Taiwan government is illegitimate. But what is illegitimate about it? Taiwan holds free elections and not elections that are controlled by the communist party! Recently Taiwan elected a very progressive (but conservative) woman, Tsai Ing Wen as its President.
If anything, considering all of the obstacles they faced in recent times, Taiwan is truly a remarkable example of success in our times. Yet, it is not recognized by all but 22 countries in the world. It was kicked off its seat in the UN to be replaced by PRC, and it can't even represent itself as a country in the Olympics! The younger generation in Taiwan no longer consider themselves Chinese, they call themselves Taiwanese. They do not wish to join PRC, but wish to develop their own identity. PRC would love to take in Taiwan as one of its provinces! Per capita, the Taiwanese population is better educated and better trained in various skills than most populations in the world. Taiwan has more MBAs, PH.Ds and MDs per capita, trained abroad (mostly U.S.) than PRC! It is dynamic, growing, and a free society. The only way PRC will gain control of Taiwan is if they take over militarily. Hopefully, that day will never come!
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