In a report to the Legislative Yuan, the Premier said the Republic of China has always assumed its own view of world changes.
First, he said, democracy and dictatorship are antithetical and can never be reconciled. This means that the fundamental contradictions between democracy and Communism cannot be surmounted. International relationships have become multipolarized and more complex as a result of the so-called East-West detente, but in the final analysis the fundamental struggle is still between freedom and slavery.
Second, the Communists may alter their tactics in the struggle against the free world as a consequence of dissension and contradictions within their own camp, but they can never change their common goal of world communization.
Third, with the basic elements of contradiction remaining, the superficial relaxation of differences does not amount to any substantial reduction of tension. The free world will fall squarely into the Communist trap if it relaxes its vigilance as a result of assumption that the tension is really lessening.
Fourth, Asia remains the center of gravity in world affairs and the area of the world most subject to important change. Whether or not the Vietram ceasefire leads to real peace in Southeast Asia, it will be a crucial test in the struggle between freedom and slavery.
Premier Chiang said the Republic of China has faith that freedom will prevail over slavery, that justice will defeat perversion and tyranny, that the people of the world cannot be forever cheated by Communist scheming and that man will at last become disenchanted with appeasement and reassert his human nature.
In the light of such guidance, he said, the Republic of China will never lose her sense of diplomatic direction or hesitate while complex changes are taking place in the world.
"In the past six months," Chiang said, "the world has witnessed many perverse changes. These have led to the waning of justice and the waxing of evil forces and to confusion in distinguishing friend from foe. These changes appear deceptive and treacherous to the eyes of a country which stands firmly on principles of justice. The murky situation engendered by the rampaging adverse currents of appeasement certainly has added difficulties in our external relations.
"We have, however, our own fundamental national spirit, our own noble national ideal and our own great goal of struggle. We have inherited the perseverance inherent in our national culture of several thousand years duration. We have faced reality and met the challenges calmly even though we were battered and buffeted by hostile waves. We have never been frightened nor thwarted in the face of such national difficulties. To the contrary, adversity has stimulated us to rise up in national unity, to assert our self-respect and to seek self-reliance. Our courage and determination have been aroused in order to meet the national crisis. So long as our vigor and our dedication to national recovery are maintained, we can stand as firm as a mountain and prove that the Chinese people can never be bullied or moved from their course."
Dr. Ku Cheng-kang, honorary chairman of the World Anti-Communist League, told British parliamentarians that although the Chinese mainland is far bigger and has many times more people, its foreign trade last year was at least 400 million pounds less than that of Taiwan.
Ku went to London to attend the executive board meeting of WACL. He said the government of the Republic of China will never again negotiate with the Chinese Communists.
"It is not that we are dogmatic or militant," he said. "It is simply that we have learned through bitter experience in 1924, 1937, 1946 and 1948 that you can never trust what a Communist says."
Ku pointed out that Premier Chiang Ching-kuo had reiterated the Chinese government's policy of remaining in the democratic camp.
"We have been expecting that the Communists would launch a peace offensive for quite some time," Ku said. "There will be no contacts whatever with Peiping, whether covert or overt."
In Taipei, Dr. Ku presided at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Asian People's Anti-Communist League. A joint communique issued after two days of discussion expressed hope that the free nations would not be misled by the hypocritical smiles of the Chinese Communists. Members expressed hope the United States would abide by its treaty obligations and defense commitments to allies and assure the world that the freedom and security of Asia and the Pacific would be safeguarded.
The communique said: "We of APACL are determined that we must further expose Communist peace schemes. Negotiation is a part of Communist tactics so as to seize what could not be gained on the battlefield and also to destroy the opponent's fighting spirit and unity."
"So-called liaison offices in Washington and Peiping will lead to consequences inimical to the freedom and security of the Asian-Pacific region instead of mitigating the tense world situation."
Technical cooperation agreements were signed with Paraguay and the Central African Republic.
Under the pact with Paraguay signed in Asuncion by Chinese Ambassador Hu Shih-hsun and Foreign Minister Raul Sapena Pastor, the Republic of China will provide two hog experts and two pineapple experts. Two Chinese agronomists are already helping Paraguay grow vegetables.
Foreign Ministers Shen Chang-huan and Potolot renewed the Sino-Central African Republic accord of October, 1970, in Taipei. The Republic of China will send a trade mission to the Central African Republic and hold a trade fair at Bangui, the CAR capital. Annual meetings on technical cooperation will be held alternatively in Taipei and Bangui.
The Republic of China maintains 14 agricultural technical missions in Africa and 9 in the Latin American countries of Dominican Republic, Panama, Honduras, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Bolivia, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Haiti.
A rice cultivation team is working in Saudi Arabia and farm demonstration teams are stationed in South Vietnam and Thailand.
Non-agricultural technical assistance missions are working in South Vietnam, the Philippines and three African countries.
Training in Taiwan will be given this year to 243 persons from the Philippines, Thailand, South Vietnam, South Korea, the Khmer Republic, Malaysia, Bolivia, Guatemala and island nations of the South Pacific. Fields will be agriculture, industrial technology and land reform.
ROC-South Vietnam relations were tightened with signing of a US$5,000,000 loan agreement. Signatories were Governor Yu Kuo-hua of the Central Bank of China and Governor Nguyen Le Qua of the Vietnamese National Bank in Saigon.
The 15-year loan at annual interest of 4 per cent will finance postwar reconstruction in Vietnam.
Governor Yu returned to Taipei with a South Vietnamese request to expand agricultural technical cooperation between the two countries. The present Chinese mission in South Vietnam has 20-add members. This number will be enlarged.
The China External Trade Development Council, a semi-official non-profit trade promotion body, has sent sales promotion experts to Vietnam to help Chinese manufacturers develop markets.
An Asian Small and Medium Enterprises League was established in Taipei by 200 delegates and observers from 13 countries and areas. Members will exchange information on techniques and management.
The league was initiated by Japanese business men and parliamentarians and included representatives from Hongkong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and the Republic of China. Australia, New Zealand and the United States participated as observers.
The Second European Industrial Machinery Exhibition in Taipei closed with orders for US$18.4 million worth of machinery and equipment from 80 manufacturers of seven European countries: West Germany, Spain, England, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria.
Two-way trade from January 1 to February 17 totaled US$745,500,000 with a favorable balance of US$82.9 million. Exports totaled US$414,200,000, an increase of 48.7 per cent over the same period last year. Imports totaled US$331,300,000, a rise of 25.7 per cent.
The private China Credit Information Service predicted trade will reach US$7,400-US$7,500 million this year. Exports are estimated at US$3,900 million-US$4,000 million and imports at US$3,500-US$3,600 million. These figures represent 40 per cent and 30 per cent increases, respectively.
The Board of Foreign Trade also predicted two-way trade would reach US$7.4 billion this year. BOFT said Taiwan had a record favorable trade balance of US$520 million in 1972. Exports rose by 48.1 per cent and imports by 37.2 per cent.
The United States remained Taiwan's No. 1 trade partner last year with a two-way volume of US$1,777 million. Exports were US$1,231 million and imports US$545 million. Two-way trade with Japan totaled US$1,421 million with imports of US$1,054 million and exports of US$367 million.
Trade with Europe amounted to US$563 million with exports of US$334 million and imports of US$229 million.
The Exporters and Importers Association predicted that trade with Europe would double in five years to reach US$1.1 billion in 1977. West Germany takes 40 per cent of Taiwan's exports to Europe.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs predicted that the unfavorable balance in trade with Japan would be reduced this year. In 1972, imports from Japan rose by 41 per cent.
New Taiwan exports include frozen fish, pork and vegetables, which earned US$40 million last year. Citrus fruits worth US$5,630,000 were exported in the first two months of this rear.
The Executive Yuan (Cabinet) announced tariff cuts ranging from 3 to 46 per cent on 10 import items to curb rising commodity prices. Reductions went into effect in February and will last until August 24. These were the cuts: milk powder for feed, 13 per cent; barley, 4 per cent; maize, 3 per cent; kaoliang, 4 per cent; soybean powder, 39 per cent; soybeans, 7 per cent; molasses, 46 per cent; wheat, 4 per cent; scrap iron, 7 per cent; and ships for breaking, 7 per cent.
Import controls on 2,367 commodities were lifted by the Board of Foreign Trade to assure an adequate supply of consumer goods and industrial raw materials. Of the Republic of China's 15,000 import items, 97 per cent are uncontrolled. Still under control are 463 items, including military supplies, communications equipment, gold, metal coins, alcoholic beverages, some drugs, monopoly items, precious stones and antiques.
Removed from the controlled list were grains, fruits, crop seeds, breeding animals, meats, fishery products, coal, mineral raw materials, dairy products, canned foods, vegetable oils, textiles and raw materials, leather and products, plastic goods, paper products, farm machinery, electronic products, auto cylinders and eight types of auto tires.
The Board of Foreign Trade also announced regulations for loans totaling US$200 million for import of daily commodities and industrial raw materials. Manufacturers and trading companies may apply to foreign exchange banks directly or through their agents or BFT-appointed agencies.
Imports will include: 850,000 tons of soybeans, 750,000 tons of wheat, 2,100,000 tons of maize, 550,000 tons of barley, 50,000 tons of kaoliang, 1,300,000 tons of scrap iron, 36,000,000 pounds of wool, 700,000 bales of cotton, 27,000,000 kilograms of nylon yarn, 50,000,000 kilograms of other raw materials for man made fibers and 2,500,000 cubic meters of logs.
Ministries of Finance and Economic Affairs and the Central Bank of China announced these measures to control rising stock prices:
Banks and other financial institutions may not loan money to individuals on the security of stocks or extend such loans already made. Companies may not offer their own stock as security.
The China Investment and Trust Company Ltd. announced its 1972 performance: NT$63,000,000 in pre-tax profits, NT$1,320,000,000 in loans, NT$320,000,000 in general investments and NT$163,000,000 in securities investment. Post-tax profit was NT$25.7 per share and a 16 per cent dividend was declared.
The government budget registered a surplus of more than NT$1.9 billion in fiscal 1972. No bond issues were needed to meet expenses. NT$1,901 million was paid out for maturing bonds compared with NT$1,400 million in bonds issued. Old debts totaling some NT$585 million were paid. Total reduction of the public debt was NT$1,085 million.
In response to the U.S. dollar fluctuation and subsequent devaluation by 10 per cent, foreign exchange was suspended for two days in mid-February. The Central Bank of China revalued the New Taiwan dollar upward by 5 per cent. The new rate was US$1 to NT$37.90 buying and NT$38.10 selling. Other new rates were set for the Australian dollar at A$1 to NT$53.83 buying and NT$54.23 selling; German mark at DM1 to NT$12.88 buying and NT$12.97 selling, the Hongkong dollar at HK$1 to NT$7.43 buying and NT$7.5 selling, the Malaysian dollar at M$1 to NT$14.95 buying and NT$15.08 selling, the British pound sterling at £1 to NT$93.1 buying and NT$94.04 selling, and the Swiss franc at SF1 to NT$11.34 buying and NT$11.42 selling.
Small containers are now made in Taiwan. The Taiwan Railway Administration, which manufactures the three-ton containers, received a rental order from the Tatung Engineering Corporation for 16 of them to ship exported color television sets. The rental rate is NT$20 per day. TRA has been using 200 of the small containers for domestic shipment of goods since February 15.
US$8 million worth of optical apparatus will be exported in 1973, an increase of 35 per cent over last year. Some 50 per cent will go to the United States. Included are sunglasses, telescopes and processed optical glass plates.
Taiwan is producing an abundance of petrochemical products, including raw materials and natural gas from which methane and ethane are produced. Methanol formaldehyde and formaldehyde resins, finished resins and plastics are products. In the next few years, intermediates including dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyester fibers will be made. Production of DMT will be 26,400 metric tons annually. PVC will reach 60,000 metric tons. By 1976, the local market will have annual supply of 52,800 metric tons of DMT, 57,300 metric tons of caprolactam, 35,000 metric tons of acrylonitrile, 360,000 metric tons of vinyl chloride monomer and 45,100 metric tons of styrene.
An integrated copper mill will be operating within two years. The US$42 million mill will produce at least 30,000 metric tons of refined copper annually. Taiwan now uses 28,000 metric tons of copper a year with an annual consumption growth rate of 15 per cent. Existing mills produce only blister copper. Refining of the ore is done in Japan.
A Keelung importer announced purchase of 20,000 tons of pig iron from Australia at US$83 per ton CIF. This will relieve the pig iron shortage which led to a 50 per cent rise in steel prices late last year.
Launched at Keelung was the 59,000-ton bulk carrier Panamax Venus. Mrs. Gordon T. Wallis, wife of the board chairman of the Irving Trust Company of New York, christened the ship built for Hsu Wen-hua. This is the second ship of its kind ordered by Hsu from the Taiwan Shipbuilding Corporation. The first was the MV Chien Li. The Panamax Venus is 223 meters long with a beam of 32.2 meters. It cruises at 15.4 knots with a range of 18,000 miles. Hsu now has 42 ships.
Shipping agencies will collect a 10 per cent surcharge for freight service on routes to and from the United States, Europe and Australia. The surcharge is to make up for losses connected with devaluation of the U.S. dollar by 10 per cent.
The Taiwan Shipbuilding Corporation is booked up for construction of 15 ships ranging from 28,000 to 50,000 tons to be delivered before the end of 1977. The company has contracted for 9 other vessels of from 58,000 tons to 130,000 tons. Ship repairing for 1973 is set at 1,500,000 tons.
TSBC ranks 15th among world shipbuilders. It has built five 100,000-ton tankers, two 59,000-ton bulk carriers and is building another 100,000-ton tanker to be launched this year. It hopes to expand facilities to build ships of the 200,000 ton category.
Construction of Taichung port will start November 1 as scheduled. First phase work includes building of 2,000 meters of breakwater, 800 meters of silt-control banks and 2,000 meters of seawall. The detailed construction plan was prepared by a Japanese engineering firm. The Chinese BES engineering company designed the work docks for outer embankments. The US$100 million port will be capable of handling 2.8 million metric tons of cargo by 1976 and 10 million tons by 1985.
Shipbreakers scrapped 1,104 ships totaling 8,137,807 tons from 1952 to 1972. Two hundred and forty-seven ships totaling 1,876,000 tons were scrapped in 1972. More than 250 ships of 2,000,000 tons will be broken up this year.
The Council for International Economic Cooperation and Development decided to appropriate NT$143 million to finance 14 provincial projects this year. Money will come from the Sino-American Fund for Economic Development. Since 1966, SAFED has loaned and granted a total of NT$338 million to the Provincial Government for economic and educational programs.
Construction of the north bend section of the Hualien-Suao Railway on the east coast will be started this year.
The Taiwan Provincial Department of Communications said NT$5.5 billion (US$144,736,800) would be allocated for a four-year plan to improve railroad services. The project will shorten travel time between Taipei and Kaohsiung to four hours.
The Taipei-Kaohsiung trunk line will be electrified. Signal systems will be improved stations modernized and locomotives and cars purchased. The Taiwan Railway Administration plans to acquire 93 electric locomotives, 120 passenger coaches and 400 freight cars. At least 35 railroad stations will be selling computerized train tickets.
Spending by the Taiwan Highway Bureau in the next five years will total NT$2,945 million (US$77,739,500) on the North-South Freeway, widening of existing highways, construction of the Chiayi-Mt. Ali highway and improvement of the East-West Cross Island highway.
The Central Government appropriated NT$372 million to finance widening of three bottlenecks on the north-south trunk highway. The sections are those between Taipei and Taoyuan, Fengyuan and Changhua and Kaohsiung and Pingtung.
The Taiwan Highway Bureau signed a contract with a private organization to operate night bus service between Taipei and Kaohsiung for two years".
Taipei drew up a mass transit plan to last until 1990. Jointly prepared by the Taipei City Government and the Council for International Economic Cooperation and Development, the plan may cost more than US$1 billion. It calls for construction of an underground railroad network to replace existing surface tracks. Removal of surface line will make way for high-speed roads connecting with the North South Freeway and other major highways. Seven highway approach corridors will be built to link the metropolitan area with its suburbs.
By 1990, Taipei is expected to have 122,770 cars and its population will double from 2.4 million to 4.85 million.
One approach corridor will need no expansion The Peian Road from Tachih can accommodate 50,000 cars daily. By 1990, the load will be 43,000.
The other approaches are:
Taipei-Shihlin-Peitou-Tamsui corridor which will have an estimated traffic of 290,000 cars daily by 1990.
Taipei-Neihu-Nanking corridor, 236,000 cars by 1990.
Taipei-Chingmei-Musa-Hsintien corridor, 245,000 cars by 1990.
Taipei-Yungho-Chungho corridor, 211,000 cars by 1990.
Taipei-Panchiao corridor, 144,000 cars by 1990.
Taipei-Sanchung-Hsinchuang corridor, 368,000 cars by 1990.
The Taipei Waterworks will expand supply, replace old pipes and install new pipes of larger size at a cost of NT$250 million by June, 1978.
Taiwan Province announced that a water supply corporation with a capital of NT$3.8 billion (US$100 million) will be inaugurated next January 1 to provide piped water for at least 70 per cent of the population by 1981. Piped water now reaches 40.2 per cent of the population. The new company will merge all waterworks in the province. Each local government will operate its waterworks as a shareholder in the new utility company. The 128 waterworks of the province will be merged. Taipei City is not included.
National Police took over civil defense units. They formerly were attached to local governments and port administrations.
The Ministry of Interior drafted a set of wage and hour regulations for retail clerks and other employees. These are main points:
- Maximum of eight hours of work per day with a ceiling of 48 hours a week.
- Overtime of no more than two hours a day with a weekly ceiling of 12 hours and pay at least one-third above the regular wage.
- One day off a week.
- No night hours for women and minors.
A survey of rural income was conducted by the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction, National Chunghsing University and National Taiwan University. Eighty-nine students of agronomy interviewed 1,780 families in 89 towns and villages.
The Agricultural Credit Division of JCRR conducted a survey of farmers' debt. Data included the extent of borrowings by farmers, the source of loans and terms and purposes. The information will be used as a reference in formulating agricultural credit policy and projects. Forty townships and 600 farmers were covered.
Insurance is planned for farmers, who account for half of Taiwan's work force. Health and accident insurance is already available to industrial workers and government employees. The China Insurance Cooperative is expected to provide insurance against fire and damage to farm produce. A health insurance plan is under study by the National Health Administration.
The Provincial Department of Agriculture and Forestry urged farmers to apply for government loans to buy farm machinery. Application may be made to all public and private financial organizations. Loans will be repayable in one to seven years at low interest. Security will be required for amounts over NT$20,000.
Farmers have bought 11,500 power tillers with government loans and allowances totaling more than US$54 million. Some 200 agricultural teams equipped with farm machinery have .been established to help 136 towns and counties in farming.
JCRR allocated NT$199 million and made a loan of NT$21 million for farm irrigation projects and development of tidal land in Taihsi, Yunlin county, central Taiwan.
A total of NT$150 million will be spent on 19 irrigation projects to be carried out by the Taiwan Provincial Water Conservation Bureau and the irrigation associations in Yunlin, Changhua, Pingtung, Kaohsiung and Hualien counties. Work includes flood control and construction of dikes and irrigation systems. The remaining NT$49 million subsidy and the loan will by used by the Taiwan Land Development Commission to develop 777 hectares of tidal land near Taihsi.
The Taihsi tidal land development project was started last December and is scheduled to be completed within two years.
Some 30 feet of tidal land is extended seaward every year on Taiwan coasts. To develop such land, bamboo fences are build windward to arrest the sand whipped in by the monsoon. Rice straw is used to stabilize newly formed sand dunes. Casaurina seedlings are planted. When the trees reach 20 to 30 feet, crop and livestock farming can be carried out.
Bamboo production will be boosted and handicrafts promoted. Only 400 to 500 bamboos formerly were harvested from a hectare of land. This can be increased to about 1,000 with application of chemical fertilizers. A fertilizer application program is being carried out in Lukou, Nantou county. The first year's program covers 300 hectares of bamboo owned by 200 farmers. Total area is 1,050 hectares owned by 957 farmers.
An area of 23 hectares has been set aside at Chushan, Nantou county, for an NT$8 million government project to expand bamboo handicrafts.
Farmers have developed a new variety of sweet potatoes which is drought resistant and fast growing. Kinmen No. 3 has been evolved from some 500 varieties. Productivity is 55,955 kilograms per hectare. A new strain of sorghum, Kinhsuan No.3, has been developed on the offshore island of Kinmen (Quemoy).
A survey of the local food industry conducted by the Group on the Development of Applied Science and Technology, a joint venture of the National Science Council, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Council for International Economic Cooperation and Development, has resulted in these suggestions: Improvement of canning techniques, improvement of freezing techniques and facilities, use of foil as a wrapping material for pre-cooked foods, production of high quality confectionary, modernization of foods preserved with sugar and salt, promotion of canned fruit juices for export, merger of smaller tea factories, research in food seasoning, and development of instant foods, dehydrated foods and baby foods.
David M. Kennedy, roving U.S. ambassador on trade, came to Taipei for talks with government officials. He met with Premier Chiang Ching-kuo and expressed satisfaction with Chinese efforts to reduce Taiwan's favorable balance of trade with the United States.
Eleven U.S. pollution control trade mission members came to Taipei for a three-day visit. They urged purchase of non-polluting machinery.
Everitt A. Carter, chairman of the board and chief executive office of Oak Industries Inc., arrived with Bissell Smith, managing director of Oak Far East Corporation in Hongkong, for opening of an Oak plant in Taipei. The corporation is a joint venture between Oak Industries and a group of Chinese investors headed by T.C. Hwoo, owner of Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation, Taiwan, for the manufacture of TV components. The Taiwan plant will make VHF tuners.
Sun I-hsuan, president of the Central Trust of China, led a 16-member trade and investment mission to the United States. The group visited San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, New York, Washington, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago and Honolulu.
A 124-member Central American Economic Mission with representatives from El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama came to look into trade.
In Tokyo, Liberal Democratic Party members of the Japanese Diet set up a council to promote friendship and cooperation with the Republic of China. The group has 152 members, 99 from the Lower House and 53 from the Upper House. Former Education Minister Hirokichi Nadao is chairman.
From the Central African Republic came Foreign Minister Joseph Potolot and Mrs. Potolot. They were greeted by Foreign Minister Shen Chang-huan, Vice Foreign Minister H.K. Yang and other government officials. The Central African Republic's ambassador, Simon Pierre Kibanda, presented his credentials to Vice President C.K. Yen.
The Central Standing Committee of the Kuomintang nominated Kiding Wang as ambassador to the Central African Republic. Wang, a member of the Research and Planning Board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, succeeded Leao Chung-chin, who was reassigned.
Chueh Chuang-ti of Taipei, a graduate of the Keelung Fishery Vocational School, assumed his duties as chief of the fisheries division of JCRR. He joined JCRR in 1959 as an assistant.
The Central Bank of China got a new director of its secretariat. Paul T.M. King, 58, of Chekiang province, a graduate of the Diplomacy Department of the National Chengchi University, was formerly with the Executive Yuan and Ministry of Finance. He takes over from Robert C. Chien, the new deputy governor of the Central Bank.
The Control Yuan accepted resignation of its vice president and acting president, Chang Wei-han, for reasons of health. Yu Chun-hsien, 72, is the new president and Chou Pai-lien the vice president.
The Control Yuan swore in these 10 new members: Huang Tsun-chiu, 50, of Nantou, Taiwan province, Kuomintang (Nationalist Party); Shen Yung, 68, of Tainan, Taiwan province, KMT; Chuang Chun-it, 60, of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, KMT; Lee Chun-ching, 48, of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, KMT; Lin Liang-yun, 60, of Pingtung, Taiwan province, KMT; Chow Tsai-yuan, 64, of Taipei, Taiwan, KMT; Lin Tsai Su-nu, 68, of Yunling, Taiwan, KMT; Shen Tsun-ling, 60, of Kiangsu province, KMT; Huang Kuang-ping, 63, of Taipei, Taiwan, KMT; and Yang Yu-tze, 68, of Shanghai, Democratic Socialist Party.
U.S. Vice Admiral James L. Holloway III, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, said in Kaohsiung that his ships will continue patrolling the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea. He described as groundless rumors that the fleet would be withdrawn from the Western Pacific.
The Republic of China's military advisory group in Vietnam returned to Taipei after nearly a decade's service. The group headed by Lt. Gen. Chiang Hsien-hsiang, and Maj. Gen. Chou Yin helped the Republic of Vietnam modernize its psychological warfare methods.