Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo is an outstanding statesman. He adheres to principle and stands firm in his positions. He is dedicated to his duties, popular with the people and respectful of the law. He wages struggle for renovation, makes improvements with courage and exercises his great patriotism to the full. He has become the most popular leader of the Republic of China today.
When he was named Premier of the Republic of China, he encouraged Cabinet members with these words: "Be ordinary, common and plain." He urged government employees to adopt the concept of "living for work, not working to live" as their principle in serving the people. These instructions bespeak his philosophy of life and his political ideal.
Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo assumed the premiership at the most critical moment in the history of the Republic of China. The country had just lost its seat at the United Nations; the tides of appeasement were surging high. Subsequently, the country was plunged into grief by the passing of President Chiang Kai-shek. The people of the whole nation were looking for a strong and powerful leader to help them overcome difficulties and open up a new horizon. Premier Chiang was the obvious choice for this role; he was the man on whom the people could rest their hopes.
During his tenure as Premier, Chiang Ching-kuo kept close watch on the political and economic developments of the world. He established the policy of "seeking development with stability and assuring stability with development," and courageously undertook the Ten Major Construction Projects. In view of world turmoil and economic decline and the limits of domestic financial ability, this was an audacious move. Most experts and scholars believed that the Ten Projects could not be successfully carried out. As a result of the Premier's determined and intelligent leadership, all of the projects were launched, one after another. During the 1973-74 period of worldwide inflation and economic stagnation, the Ten Projects stimulated other undertakings, provided large numbers of jobs and reduced the severity of the recession. These projects assured the nation's rapid economic recovery and sustained economic growth at close to 10 per cent annually. When Typhoon Thelma struck Taiwan in 1977 and damaged Kaohsiung and Keelung harbors, the newly constructed Taichung harbor fulfilled its function of reducing pressure on the two major ports. As a result of the Premier's vision and wisdom, the Republic of China performed one of the most impressive economic miracles in history and won the admiration and respect of the people of the world.
Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo was born on March 18, 1910, at Fenghua in Chekiang province. He is the elder son of the late President Chiang Kai-shek. When he was 16 years old, his father sent him to Moscow, where he studied at Sun Yat-sen University. Not until April of 1936 did the Russian Communists allow him to return to China. During his stay in the U.S.S.R. he developed fortitude in the face of adversity and his diligent approach to life. He perceived the inhumanity of Communism; this fortified his anti-Communist thinking, determination and faith.
His political career began in 1939 during the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japan. He was named administrative commissioner for southern Kiangsi province. Working at the basic level, he came to understand the sufferings of the people and exhausted himself in efforts to help overcome their difficulties. After China's victory in 1945, he became foreign affairs commissioner of the Military and Political Administration for Northeast China and helped government forces take over the region (Manchuria) from the Japanese. The Communist rebellion was rising in tempo when he was made deputy economic control supervisor of Shanghai in 1948. He tried to stabilize the economy and took stern measures against profiteers and black marketing.
The National Government of the Republic of China was moved to Taiwan in 1949. During the last 29 years, Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo served in the Kuomintang as chairman of the Provincial Headquarters, member of the Reform Committee, member of the Central Standing Committee and chairman of the Central Committee. In the government, he has served as director of the General Political Department of the Ministry of National Defense, deputy director general of the National Security Council, member of the Cabinet, chief commissioner of the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen, Vice Minister of National Defense, Minister of National Defense, Vice Premier and concurrently chairman of the Council for International Economic Development, and Premier. Additionally, he had headed the Chinese Youth Corps. As a consequence of this varied experience, he has a unique understanding of problems involved in party, administrative, economic, financial, educational, national defense and youth affairs.
Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo is not only a planner but also a man of action. Among his guidelines for life is: “Never fear suffering, never fear hardship and never fear danger.” During the Chinese Communist attempt to seize Kinmen in October 1949 and during the Battle of the Taiwan Straits that opened with the saturation shelling of Kinmen on August 23, 1958, Mr. Chiang traveled to the offshore island despite the danger of heavy artillery fire. He visited pillboxes to convey the concern of the highest authorities to soldiers on the front lines. He still seeks out the people and communicates with them frequently on farms and in factories, shops, schools, camps, government organizations and on the streets. Wherever he goes, the people stretch out their hands, vying for a handshake with Chiang Ching-kuo or a chance to chat with him. He invariably wears a wide smile.
Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo is always deeply attentive to public opinion. He relies on the people to identify their problems, learns about these from the people and discovers the solutions in the ideas of the people. In administration, he is able to grasp the core of a problem and find a feasible plan for its solution. These are examples:
- When Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo was director of the Chinese Youth Corps, he frequently suggested constructive programs of training and recreation for young people, thereby benefiting them, raising their hopes, increasing their vitality and welding their future to that of the country.
- As chief commissioner of the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen, he established nearly a hundred productive enterprises for retired servicemen, including the Ret-Ser Engineering Agency, which undertakes contracts for big foreign construction projects. These undertakings have resettled tens of thousands of retired officers and men and their dependents. The efforts of VACRS have reduced the average age of the armed forces and enabled officers and men to lead happy civilian lives and continue their mental and physical contributions to the country and society after they leave the military.
As Minister of National Defense, he carried out the policy of creating elite forces, developing national defense science and technology, and strengthening logistical production. The quality of the armed forces has been improved and their combat capability enhanced.
During his time as Premier, Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo dedicated himself to establishing honest and competent government that would "sacrifice for the country and serve the people." He set 10 requirements for improvement, undertook an administrative renovation program, urged scientific management, abolished special privileges, punished corruption, promoted the talented and established a high level of political morale. This has promoted an open and equalitarian society. To carry out the six-year economic plan, he set up the Council for Economic Planning and Development, which has enlisted topnotch administrative and economic experts to take charge of the country's financial, economic and communications development.
Mr. Chiang has visited foreign countries many times. He went to the United States in 1953, 1963, 1965, 1969 and 1970. He met with Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon. He saw President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Taiwan and on several occasions in the United States. In 1969, he attended President Eisenhower's funeral as a special envoy of the Republic of China.
Mr. Chiang has also traveled to Japan, Vietnam Korea, and Thailand. After assuming the premiership, a heavy workload prevented him from going abroad. But he continued to meet with foreign political leaders in the Republic of China. He has many friends in countries of the free world.
Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo is of medium stature and weights 140 pounds. His hair is streaked with white and his cheeks are rosy. His constant smile attests to his affable, easygoing and humble nature. He has a happy family of his wife, Chiang Fang-liang, three sons and a daughter. His younger brother, General Wego Chiang, is commandant of the Armed Forces University.
Mr. Chiang likes to take walks and tell stories. At a gathering or meeting with the press, he customarily tells two or three anecdotes from his personal experience. These stories are usually humorous but replete with philosophical under tones expressing his concern, love and sympathy for the people.
When Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo accepted the party's draft as its candidate for President, his decision received immediate unanimous popular support. President Yen said Chiang Ching-kuo was uniquely qualified to lead the country in difficult times and complete the tasks of anti-Communism and national recovery. He said Chiang Ching-kuo had followed the examples and teachings of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and President Chiang Kai-shek and had shown "dedication, integrity and loyalty."
In his statement accepting the Kuomintang's draft as candidate for the presidential election, Chiang Ching-kuo said:
"I am a revolutionary party member and have long received the cultivation of the party, the instructions of my seniors and the encouragement of all my comrades. In the light of my heavy obligations to national revival, the revolution and party honor, of continuing and aggravated world changes and of mounting worries and responsibilities, I must not stand on courtesy and am compelled to accept the nomination for the presidency so that I can dedicate and sacrifice myself in order to 'realize the Three Principles of the People, recover the Chinese mainland, revive the national culture and remain in the democratic camp.' "