WORDS TO LIVE BY: Taiwan and China, Part 1

Ronald Reagan regarded Taiwan as a loyal, democratic, longtime ally to whom we owed unqualified support and he was concerned how Al Haig and others in the state department were so eager to improve relations with the Peoples Republic of China, that, ultimately as president, tried to press him back from this pledge of support.

Ronald Reagan traveled there in 1971 and again in April 1978 so we’ll begin this essay with his report on his second trip to Taiwan in 1978. This radio address was delivered on May 15, 1978. Then, we’ll share Governor Reagan’s 1979 radio address on the normalization of Red China. Next week, we’ll move into his presidency and showcase his speech delivered to Chinese Community Leaders in Beijing, China in 1984…which was largely censored when aired on Chinese media. Disturbed by this action…but not surprised, the President followed with another speech at Fudan University, stressing freedom and human rights.

For today, let’s begin in 1978.

“As they say in the travelogues, “we took leave of Japan, setting our course for beautiful Formosa”…now known as Taiwan. I’ll be right back.

“We flew to Taiwan from Tokyo in a China Airlines plane and that in and of itself was an advertisement of what was to come.

“Taipei is a modern, prosperous looking city complete with luxury hotels, smart shops and congested rush hour traffic. Industries are flourishing and exports are counted in the billions of dollars. In fact, like Japan, Taiwan has a surplus in its balance of trade with us and only recently sent a trade mission to the US to buy another $250 million worth of American of American products to reduce the imbalance. Another such mission is planned and for no other reason than to be helpful to us.

“Again there were meetings – a dinner with the foreign minister, a call on the minister of economic affairs and a dinner given by the president of the republic. Always, there was an undercurrent of concern about what our foreign policy really was. But there was a feeling of pride and confidence in their own capability. They reminded this American of a quality we once had and which I hope we haven’t completely lost.

“I renewed acquaintance with premier chiang – soon to be president – the son of the late Generalissimo Chiang Kai Chek. He is a remarkable leader, dedicated to the welfare of his people. Others told me of how this quiet, unassuming man journeyed to the countryside visiting without warning or publicity, farmers and works in their homes. He is utterly realistic about the impossibility of mixing freedom and communism.

“We visited a modern steel mill adjacent to a new shipyard, fully automated and capable of building the largest supertankers. The average age of the works was 27 in the shipyard and 29 in the steel mill. They were recruited from local high schools, given 2 years training by the companies and provided with new housing and recreational facilities. Incidentally, all students in Taiwan start learning English in 7th grade.

“Some of those Americans who visit the mainland and return with glowing reports of how much better off the people are under their communist rulers should visit Taiwan. They justify their enthusiasm about the quality of life in Communist China, explaining away the rationing and scarcity by saying, “but the people are so much better off than they were.”

“Are they? The communist regime started in 1949 and so did the free Chinese who retreated to Taiwan. Taiwan had been a Japanese military staging area and as such was blasted into rubble by our B-29’s. Power plants and railroads had been destroyed. As the Foreign minister put it…they had 5 things – a little brown sugar, some rice, a pannikien of tea, and earthquake and a typhoon.

“Today one China is totally regimented, there is no personal freedom and it can’t feed it’s people without importing food. The other has a prosperous free economy and privately owned farms capable of supplying the peoples every need plus contributing to the nations exports. The roads are jammed with cars and motorcycles, the people watch tV on 3 networks, listen to about 100 radio stations and work in a dozen modern industries.

“Their military is superb and of unquestioned morale. Each young man serves 2 years and is then in the reserve for 8 – 10 years. They have 550,000 in uniform and can mobilize 2 ? million on short notice, realizing that they may one day have to fight to keep their freedom.

“This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. “

In January 1979, Ronald Reagan took to the airwaves to be blunt in his criticism of the Carter administration’s decision to recognize the People’s Republic of China on January 1, 1979. He writes: “They had everything to gain by recognition, we gained virtually nothing we didn’t already have.”

Here are the specifics of this deal in Taiwan II, January 1979. And next week, we’ll hear from President Reagan in 1984.

“Today I’d like to talk a little more about the normalization of relations with Red China and what it means. I’ll be right back.

“In the President’s announcement December 15th that we were establishing diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China on the mainland, the inference was given that this was somehow a breakthrough….the result of successful negotiations. This is a little less than accurate. It didn’t require any negotiations to do what the administration has done nor was this any victory as the announcement also implied.

“The legitimate government of China some 3 decades ago was overthrown by a military coup led by Mao Tse tung. That government fled to Taiwan and set itself up as the government in exile of China. Mao set up a communist government in Peking. Both claimed to represent all of China. The United States continued it’s recognition and diplomatic relations with the exiled government on Taiwan.

“In 1972, President Nixon made his historic visit to Peking and opened the door to a relationship with the mainland Chinese. In the discussions and negotiations that followed, trade and cultural relations were established. But the Red Chinese government made 3 demands which would have to be met before there could be full diplomatic recognition. Those demands were, the breaking of our defense treaty with Taiwan, the cancellation of diplomatic relations, and the removal of all American military from Taiwan.

“For almost 7 years this has been the impasse between the US and Mainland China. Neither President Nixon nor President Ford would accede to these demands. We must remember also that Red China was the supplicant. The rulers in Peking wanted full diplomatic recognition, mainly because of their hostile relations with the Soviets. They had everything to gain by recognition, we gained virtually nothing we didn’t already have.

“The breakthrough the president announce on December 15th, was, as I said earlier, not a breakthrough at all. We simply gave in to Peking’s demands. This could have been done anytime in the last 6 or 7 years whenever we were willing to throw a loyal ally overboard. During those years, poll after poll showed that while ? of the American people wanted to better relations with the mainland, ? of them did not want to do this by dumping Taiwan.

“Now I believe there are things the Congress can do to lessen the damage that has been done and I’ll talk about this on the next broadcast. But, one thing cannot be changed; the nations of the world have seen us cold bloodedly betray a friend for political expediency. That memory will not go away.

“This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.”

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