The Federation of Chinese Chambers of Commerce in the Philippines sent a message on January 22 to the U. S. Secretary of State to voice its opposition to the idea of a cease-fire in the Taiwan Strait. It reads: "On behalf of the Chinese Community in the Philippines, we hope that the United States will take a firm stand in the present crisis precipitated by the Communist invasion of the Tachen area. Any suggestion for a cease-fire in the present circumstances is demoralizing to the United States' friends and allies in Asia and encouraging to further Communist aggression. Experience shows that cease-fire arrangements in Korea and in Indo-China have only weakened the Asian peoples' confidence in the will and ability of the U.N. and the United States to stop Communist advance in Asia. While all the overseas "Chinese communities are expecting the day when freedom will be restored in China, any wavering American approach to the Formosa crisis will be interpreted as the eventual defeat of the democracies in the global struggle against world Communism. American action in the way of correcting this interpretation would immensely help boost the anti-Communist spirit in the whole free world."
The anti-Communist Kung Sheung Daily News in Hongkong, in its editorial on January 30, called upon the Chinese Government to veto the cease-fire resolution when the U.N. Security Council discussed the Taiwan issue. It opined that any cease-fire aimed at appeasing the Chinese Communists and tolerating aggression "is definitely unacceptable to the Chinese people." It predicted that a series of pitfalls would ensue if the cease-fire proposal were adopted.
Chinese residents in Korea expressed their unanimous opposition to the proposal of a cease fire in the messages they sent on February 3 to U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, President Eisenhower, and Dr. T. F., Tsiang, chief Chinese delegate to the Security Council. "Such proposal," the messages stated, "implies recognition of the legality of the Chinese Communist rebellion and would be harmful to the cause of world peace."
The Chinese Anti-Communist League in New York held an emergency meeting on February 1 to discuss its attitude toward the cease-fire proposal. It was decided (1) to cable to the Chinese Government to supporting its decision to hold the Tachens, Kinmen and Matsu; (2) to send a delegation to the White House to petition against appeasement of the Chinese Communists; (3) to send telegrams to the American Government and Congress opposing any arrangement which tends to obstruct Free China's effort to recover the mainland and requesting moral and material support to help the Chinese Government in its fight against Communism; (4) to send a telegram to the U. N. General Assembly President, Security Council President and the Secretary-General opposing any international action which would infringe the sovereingty of Free China.
Retail Trade Law in PI
President Ramon Magsaysay decided recently to set up a joint Congressional Executive committee to study the effect on Filipino national economy of the island's first nationalization measure, the retail trade law. The committee will be composed of three members each from the Malacaning, the Senate and the House of Representatives and will study possible revisions of the retail trade law, the enforcement of which, it was thought, would leave a vacuum in Philippine commerce, with the Filipinos un- able to fill it at present. Meanwhile, Senator Emmanuel Pelaez presented a bill to the Senate proposing to repeal the retail nationalization law as well as to delay actions on other restrictive regulations in order to attract more foreign investments in future.
Speaker Jose Laurel, Jr. of the Philippine Lower House also declared on January 11 that he felt, that Congress should go slow on the nationalization measure now pending in the House. He said that the present condition showed that the Philippines was not ready for total nationalization of trade and industry and that the wide-spread objections from alien merchants, particularly from the Chinese community, to the said law warrant a re-examination of the question. He indicated that he would favour a revision of the retail trade nationalization law to make it less restrictive.
Mr. Oscar Ledesnra, Secretary of Commerce, announced later that the committee would start its work soon. And the leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives had agreed previously that they would not act on any nationalization bills until a definite policy on the subject had been decided by the committee.
Chu Chang-tung Welcomed to Taiwan
Another anti-communist overseas Chinese leader, Mr. Chu Chang-tung, a native of Tai-shan, Kwangtung, recently deported by the pro-Communist Indonesian authorities, returned to Free China on January 1. More than 500 representatives of the Government and civic organizations were on hand to greet him upon his arrival at the Sungshan Airport.
Mr. Chu, who had been engaged in business in Djarkata for the best part of his life, was the second Chinese deported by the Indonesian Government on the charge of anti-Communist activities. Another anti-Communist leader in Indonesia, Mr. Tjong Heon-Nji, was deported here last December. Both had been detained by the Indonesian Government at one time or another simply because of their Anti-Communist determination. Mr. Chu, once a lecturer at Oregon University and later Chinese Vice-Consul at Djakarta before Indonesia severed diplomatic relations with China, had played a prominent role in promoting the welfare of the Chinese community in Indonesia. After his arrival in Taipei, Mr. Chu vowed to devote the rest of his life to the anti-Communist cause and disclosed that he had brought back a list of promising overseas Chinese youths in different parts of Southeast Asia who would like to be enlisted the armed forces of Free China.
Mr. Chu was honored at a luncheon on February 2 given by Mr. Ku Cheng-kang, Chairman of the China Chapter of the, Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League, and was entertained at a dinner party by Mr. Cheng Yin-fun, Chairman of the Overseas Affairs Commission.
Overseas Chinese Leaders Visit Taiwan
Four overseas Chinese leaders from the Philippines, Messrs. Ko Chun-chih, Tsai Yu-chung, Yang Ping-min and Tsai Chung-huai, arrived at Taipei by air from Manila on January 25 to pay a visit to the frontline on the offshore islands on behalf of the Kuomintang members in the Philippines. They were greeted at the Sungshan Airport by the high officials of the KMT Central Committee and accorded all the necessary facilities for their trip to the frontline.
An overseas Chinese youth group from Yokohama was given an audience by President Chiang Kai-shek on January 15 while accompanied by Mr. Cheng Yin-fun, Chairman of the Overseas Affairs Commission. They were urged by the President to redouble their efforts in the pursuit of their studies so that they might be able to make their contributions to the national reconstruction work in future.
Meanwhile, Mr. Aw Yih-hu, a son of the lat overseas Chinese millionaire Aw Boon Haw an a member of the board of directors of the Standard newspaper chain in Southeast Asia, arrived at Taipei by air on January 16. Mr. Aw stayed in Taiwan for two weeks to familiarize himself with the present conditions in Free China. He was given an audience by President Chiang Kai-shek on January 28 and received by Vice-President Chen Cheng the same day. A dinner party was given jointly by Ma Hsin-yeh, director of the fourth section of the KMT Central Committee, and Dr. Wu Nan-ju, Director of the Government Information Office.
Overseas Chinese Total 13,472,311
Chinese nationals residing abroad have increased from 8,700,804 to 13,472,311 during the ten-year period since 1943, a spokesman of the Overseas Affairs Commission disclosed recently. Of the 13,472,311, 13,124,716 are in Asia 238,363 in America, 66,363 in Oceania, 31,320 in Africa, and 11,549 in Europe.
The Overseas Affairs Commission also announced on January 5 that 70 Chinese nationals including 30 women had been granted permits to emigrate to the United States in 1954 out of 131 applicants.
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Energy tends to become more abundant through constant use; hence a man with a weak constitution should not use his energy too sparingly. Intelligence tends to become more sharp through the experiencing of hardships; hence no one should feel depressed and frustrated because of temporarily unfavorable circumstances.
Tseng Kuo-fan
Confucius said, "Even in a village of ten families, there would be found some as loyal and faithful as I am, but he would not be as fond of learning."