Taiwan Today

Anti-communism is the way of life in the Republic of China. This isn't because the people are of a negative turn of mind or because they are more inclined to oppose tyranny than to seek freedom. The crux of the matter is survival. People of South Vietnam were not able to oppose Communism strenuously enough and lost their liberty and their government. People of South Korea almost suffered the same fate. People of the Republic of China are anti-communists by necessity. Three decades ago, the Chinese mainland was lost because anti-Communist dedication and activity were too weak. The free, the strong and the determinedly anti-Communist were compelled to withdraw to the Taiwan redoubt prepared by President Chiang Kai-shek. Chinese freedom would otherwise have been totally destroyed.

No Communist promise of autonomy or other rights has ever been kept. Tibet was brutally savaged. Mainland peasants were promised land and then herded into communes. Religion was stamped out. Political parties were preserved only as kept cats to acknowledge their Communist masters. Communist promises made in the united front offensive against the Republic of China are just as meaningless as those that have gone before. The people of the Republic of China know that negotiated peace with the Communists would be turned into a nightmarish slaughterhouse with arrival of the first Communist troops on Taiwan. Anti-Communism is the staff not only of freedom but of life.

So it is that for more than 30 years now the Republic of China has been in the forefront of the anti-Communist struggle. In the early days of this movement, there was hope of an anti-Communist collective security organization to encompass the free nations of both Southeast and Northeast Asia. After consultations between the Republics of China and Korea, the first conference of the Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League was convened at Chinhae, Korea, in 1954. Both Presidents Chiang Kai-shek and Syngman Rhee had hoped that an anti-Communist alliance would grow out of this beginning. That wasn't to be the case—in part because of the U.S. interest in what turned out to be the failure of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization—but APACL was to bear important fruit in the shape of the World Anti-Communist League and Asian Youth Anti-communist League.

Convened in Taipei in August of 1981 were the 27th conference of the APACL, the 14th conference of WACL and the 3rd conference of AYACL. The anti-Communist spirit has never flamed higher. Three hundred and fifty-eight anti-Communist leaders from 105 free countries were represented at the rallies and meetings dedicating the 1980s to the cause of Freedom's Victory Over Communism. President Chiang Ching-kuo sent a special message and Premier Sun Yun-suan delivered the principal address to the joint opening session. The overall agreement of those attending was that only anti-Communism can save the world for freedom. It is not enough to be in favor of liberty; it is essential to be a freedom fighter in the anti-Communist cause.

President Chiang Ching-kuo assured the free nations that the Republic of China will always remain in the democratic camp. He said:

—The convening of the WACL, APACL and AYACL Conferences in Taipei City of the Republic of China to express the theme of "1980s—Victory of Freedom over Communism" is an epochal event. Your participation and united dedication to the historic struggle of freedom against Communism command my sincere respect. I wish to extend warm congratulations and express a hearty welcome to distinguished guests coming from afar.

Ever since the establishment of your organizations, you have dedicated yourselves to the goal of saving the world from the Communists. You have not spared yourselves in burnishing the cause of justice and strengthening the forces of freedom. You have made immense contributions to the curbing of Communist expansionism and have heightened the anti-Communist will of the free nations. The contributions have had far-reaching influence and won the approval of people everywhere.

Looking back over the years following the Second World War, we find that the tides of Marxism-Leninism and the growth of Communist influence have led the world into a miserable state of "half slave and half free." The Communists have brought unprecedented suffering and terror to mankind. The undertow of international appeasement and the aberration of seeking temporary peace have interacted to abet Communist aggression and produce unparalleled turmoil and instability. These scourges emanate from the spreading roots of Communism and the resulting erosion of world freedom.

The Communist ideology and system are cloaked in socialism based on class struggle and depend on violence as the means of revolution. Communists seek to reach their objective by "conquering the world and enslaving the people" by way of the "proletarian dictatorship." They have destroyed human dignity and countermanded the people's common aspiration for freedom and peace. Communism's damage to the world has already plumbed the deepest depths and spanned the widest widths. It has therefore become completely clear that freedom and slavery can never coexist, democracy and totalitarianism are incompatible and the solution of the world's problems lies in the growth and unity of the anti-Communist forces. There can be no real peace for mankind until the free nations close ranks and wipe out the Communist destroyers.

Chinese culture respects freedom and embraces peace, so it can never tolerate Communist totalitarianism. Communism is not suitable for China, so the Republic of China will never depart from its steadfast anti-Communist convictions regardless of what may happen in the world. Nor will the Republic of China ever budge from its firm position in the democratic camp. We shall continue to be the forthright champion of democracy and march forward in step with the other free and democratic nations.

History moves steadily forward. Freedom will prevail over slavery. Benevolence will reverse the violent tendency in government. This is the trend of history. People of the world have already become disenchanted with Communism and their anti-Communist determination has been revitalized. These feelings and the people's bitter experience with Communism during the last few decades have brought the Communists to the brink of extinction. This is a time to harden our will, close our ranks, augment our joint efforts against Communism and call on all free nations and peoples to support freedom fighters now writhing at the point of the Communist bayonet. Let us carry our fight to the finish and destroy the Communist regimes, liberate the enslaved peoples and open up the new era of victory for freedom and democracy at the earliest possible moment. I extend my wishes for the great success of the rally and for the victory of freedom and anti-Communism.

Premier Sun Yun-suan told the freedom fighters of the world that there is much room for encouragement in President Ronald Reagan's forthright stand against Communism. Reagan has made clear, the Premier said, "that the United States seeks not merely to contain Communist expansionism passively but intends to eliminate it actively."

The text of Premier Sun's address to the three anti-Communist organizations follows:

—The 14th Conference of the World Anti-Communist League, the 27th Conference of the Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League and the 3rd Conference of the Asian Youth Anti-Communist League are opening here today in the City of Taipei of the Republic of China. The theme of the conferences—"The 1980s—Victory of Freedom Over Communism! "—symbolizes the high ideals and significance of these movements. I want to express my respect to you as freedom-lovers and anti-Communist leaders. I also hold out a warm welcome to all the distinguished guests gathered here and extend sincere congratulations on the occasion.

World War II saw the fall of Fascism and Naziism but also the further rise of Communism. The Communists gained a foothold by capitalizing on the destruction of World War I, expanded their influence in the turmoil following World War II and augmented their strength by taking advantage of the Free World's postwar appeasement. The West's compromises have encouraged Communist forces instead of keeping them in check and have led to international crises.

The 1970s was a dark age in the Free World's anti-Communist struggle. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos tragically fell into Communist hands. The complex and turbulent world situation of today results from the evil export of Communist violence to support terrorism and instigate subversion and schism. At the close of 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and posed a direct threat to the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Last year the Soviet Union pulled strings from behind the scenes to bring about the war between Iran and Iraq. Consequently, the conflict is continuing. Taking advantage of the nationwide strike in Poland, the Soviets deployed troops along the Polish border and seriously threatened Western Europe. Without exception, all of the crises afflicting African and Latin American nations are triggered and manipulated by the Communist bloc. Because the free nations fail to unite and resist and go on living in a fool's paradise, the world situation has deteriorated into disorder where friends cannot be distinguished from foes nor right from wrong.

Taking a wide look at the free world's attempt to safeguard freedom in the 1970s, we can detect two major mistakes: detente with the Communists and the attempt to play off the Chinese Communists against the Soviet Union.

Let us take a look at detente first. As far as the Communists are concerned, war and peace are synonymous and interchangeable. Their strategy of peace involves the twofold objective of defense and offense. Defensively, the Communists seek to use peace to protect their vested interests and solve their internal and external difficulties. Offensively, they use the smokescreen of peace to soften their enemy's combat morale and then attack him. Once having succeeded with an offensive gambit, they will bide their time before resuming the attack. The Republic of China was a victim of the Chinese Communists' peace talk strategy on the mainland. The North Vietnamese Communists deceived the United States with the same peace trickery and conquered South Vietnam. These bloody lessons are still fresh in our memory. We must be vigilant.

We now come to the second mistake. Both Red China and the Soviet Union are members of the Communist bloc. They are two peas from the same pod. Though they vie for hegemony and confront each other, they share the same ultimate objective of communizing the world. Once they come to feel that they will gain more from cooperation than opposition, they can be expected to join hands against the free nations. This could happen at any time. The call of the Chinese Communists for "anti-hegemony" is part bluff and bluster. They want to start a war between the United States and the Soviet Union and have no intention of trying to hold the Soviets in check. For that matter, how could the Chinese Communists expect to curb Soviet expansionism when they themselves are confronted by such problems as the people's low living standard, obsolete armaments and low morale? The strategy of "joining with the Chinese Communists against the Soviet Union" is not only mistaken but dangerous.

Today's Communist world faces many crises. The most decisive is the failure of Communism after several decades of experimentation in Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Chinese mainland. The cost has been high. The fallacy of Communism is to be found in its efforts to exercise total control over the conduct of mankind at the expense of free will, the dignity of the person and other values of living. Politically, the Communists implement autocracy and dam up the channels of political participation, thereby imposing ceaseless strains and instability. Economically, they inhibit the people's productivity and assure the inevitability of poverty and hunger. Internationally, they indulge in social imperialism, trying to change the living styles of other nations and peoples. They utilize the hegemonistic rivalries of the socialist imperialists to create international instability. There is no question but that they are doomed to failure.

After years of experimentation, the Communist states lag far behind the Free World in politics, economics, social organization and other respects. The Soviet Union, first of the Communist nations, provides an example. Industrial and agricultural production has been declining for years. Food and energy are in short supply. Transportation is inefficient. Commodity prices are soaring. Large-scale strikes in Poland in the last year attest to the failure of Communism and epitomize the Communist failure as a whole.

Turning to the Chinese mainland, we find that politically the Communists have enforced totalitarian dictatorship and the rule of violence for the last 31 years. Internal power struggle has never ended. Killing and enslavement of the people has not stopped for even a day. Recent changes in leadership represent only a temporary compromise. More violent power struggle and inner-party strife lie ahead. The struggle goes on and on. No matter who is on horseback, he cannot get rid of Communism's dirty shirt encumbrance. Sooner or later the struggle must end in Communist disintegration.

Economically, the Chinese Communists boasted that they would carry out the "four modernizations" in agriculture, industry, science and technology, and defense after liquidation of the "gang of four." They cannot in fact reach their goals. Financial resources and skilled manpower are lacking. Scientific technology does not exist and the ideology is confused. Now they have shifted their propaganda spiel from the "four modernizations" to efforts of economic readjustment to overcome the crisis. They have called off the construction of industrial plants and shut down various enterprises. Unemployment has increased in the industrial sector. Unilateral cancellation of business contracts signed with foreign countries has severely damaged Chinese Communist standing and credibility in the international community.

President Chiang Ching-kuo of the Republic of China once said: "What separates Taiwan and the mainland is not a strait but the differing ideology and system of the Three Principles of the People and Communism." Two different political systems and life styles on the two sides of the Taiwan Straits have been tested in the crucible of reality for the last 31 years. On the one hand are the freedom, democracy, affluent life, stability and success of the people in the Republic of China. In stark contrast to this are the terrorism, backwardness and poverty inflicted on the people of the mainland. In 1980, the per capita income in the Taiwan area was US$2,101, which is about nine times the mainland level of US$238. The difference in living standards of the two sides defies comparison.

The prevailing mood of the mainland people can be summed up as representing a loss of faith in Communism, of trust in the Communist regime and of confidence in the future of the "four modernizations." The broadening and deepening crisis is bound to result in the total negation of Communism. People on the mainland are once again discussing the problem of "which way China should choose to go." They are clamoring to "learn from Taipei in politics" and "learn from Taiwan in economics." They are showing their wish to be a part of Free China.

Western nations are compelled to heighten their vigilance because the Communists have fanned the fires of discontent everywhere in the world and Russia has built up its military strength in recent years. They have come to understand the importance of strengthening their military forces, hardening their determination to resist the Communists and tightening their alliances. These tendencies have become especially prominent since President Reagan took office. Although President Reagan is attempting to cut government spending, he is calling for large increases in the defense budget. His determination to assure U.S. military superiority has the overwhelming support of the American people.

Based on his consistent adherence to freedom and anti-Communism, President Reagan has often declared that Communism is doomed to failure. He advocates the safeguarding of world peace with substantial strength. His moral courage and spirit are admired by men of vision everywhere. I should like to cite some important passages from two of President Reagan's comments on the certainty of Communism's downfall.

First, on May 17 of this year, President Reagan spoke on the prospects for the struggle between the West and Communism at the commencement ceremony of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. He emphasized the superiority of the values and concepts of Western civilization and philosophy and remarked that Communism is "a sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written." He also said that "The West will not contain Communism; it will transcend Communism." He made clear that the United States seeks not merely to contain Communist expansionism passively but intends to eliminate it actively.

Second, at his press conference on June 16 he said: "Communism is an aberration—it's not a normal way of living for human beings. And I think we are seeing the first beginning cracks, the beginning of the end."

These passages provide reassurance that truth is truth and cannot be concealed forever. President Reagan's foresight calls for our respect: It is greatly encouraging that he has specified the direction for the Free World to follow in the struggle against Communism.

The Republic of China is a staunch member of the democratic camp and has never failed to struggle against Communism. Geographically, the Republic of China links Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia and stands guard over the only passage between Japan and Korea to South Asia and the Persian Gulf. This pivotal position makes the Republic of China a maritime bulwark to prevent the Communist totalitarians from expanding into the Pacific Ocean.

For the last 31 years, the Republic of China has been undertaking a variety of development projects on Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu in keeping with Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People. We have raised both the living and cultural standards of the people. We have made ourselves a model nation in the realistic spirit of democracy, freedom, openness, harmony and modernity. Our forward strides provide the greatest possible encouragement to the masses of people on the Chinese mainland.

The existence of the Republic of China is in itself the greatest threat faced by the Chinese Communists. Consequently, Red China seeks to attack the Republic of China in every way possible. The Chinese Communists have never given up the idea of assaulting Taiwan with their armed forces. Their "peace talk" offensive of the last more than two years is an attempt to "defeat the enemy without firing a shot."

At his June 16 news conference, President Reagan reiterated his consistent position of living up to the "Taiwan Relations Act." He emphasized: "I have not changed my feeling about Taiwan." Subsequently, at a Republican fundraising dinner in Chicago, he said his administration has stood by and will continue to stand by its commitment to Taiwan. These remarks show that he cherishes the traditional friendship between the Republic of China and the United States. We are deeply moved by his firm position, determination and perseverance. We share his sentiments about the importance of Sino-American friendship. I want to stress here that this friendship of old friends must be steadily enlarged to match the common interests of the two countries. Only a free, democratic, unified and strong China can serve the long-range interests of the United States.

The China problem centers upon the demand of the Chinese people for the construction of a free, democratic and equalitarian China on the mainland. I am convinced that the recovery of the Chinese mainland is also the way to save Asia and the world. This is to say that only by defeating the violent Chinese Communists and restoring freedom to our mainland compatriots can China become the crucial force in safeguarding the security of Asia and assuring the peace of the world. Any appeasement of the Chinese Communists will deny the aspirations of the Chinese people and lead to endless trouble in the world.

The trend of world developments and the requirements of human conscience show that only by terminating Communist slavery can mankind live in freedom, only by opposing Communist totalitarianism can nations enjoy democracy and only by extinguishing Communist violence can the world live in peace. The anti-Communist road is tortuous but it will eventually lead humanity to victory over bestiality and justice to triumph over evil. There is no slightest doubt of it.

Communist expansionism poses a global threat; the security and peace of the world is indivisible. To win the final victory in the anti-Communist struggle, we must unite all those in the world who love freedom and assure their cooperation with one heart and in one concerted endeavor. If we drift apart, we shall be smashed by the enemy one after another. So I wish to call on the free nations to coordinate their efforts closely and move down the decisive anti-Communist road together.

First, we must firm up our basic position of never compromising with Communist totalitarianism. We must draw a clear line between freedom and slavery and between friend and enemy. We must not help the Communist states in even the smallest way, and we must re-establish our camp of solidarity in the curbing of Communist expansionism.

Second, we must promote regional collective defense relationships, and revitalize the common security measures of the free world so as to assure world peace.

Third, we must increase our economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation and cultural interflow so as to keep faith with the free world principle of helping each other and increase our united strength to rout the forces of Communism.

Fourth, in order to extirpate the root cause of Communism in the world, the free nations must support the struggle of all the Chinese people for the unification of China under the Three Principles of the People and the restoration of freedom to the Chinese mainland.

Mankind's road to freedom is the road of anti-Communism. This is also the road leading to a bright future we can already see and to victory that is within our grasp. Let us struggle shoulder to shoulder and march forward hand in hand. Let each step leave its mark and each blow take its toll. We shall reach our shining future and write a historic new page of history for the 1980s.

Premier and Mrs. Sun gave a reception at the Taipei Guest House to honor the anti-Communist leaders. He said that the Republic of China has built a strong bastion of freedom in Taiwan with foreign exchange reserves of US$8 billion and foreign trade of US$40 billion annually. But "We are not content with these achievements and will continue to use our most important resource—manpower—to the maximum extent to raise the nation's productivity," he said.

Ku Cheng-kang, the honorary chairman of the World Anti-Communist League and principal chairman of the three Taipei conferences, was a speaker at both the opening and closing ceremonies. He sounded the conference keynote with a prediction that Communism will collapse within this decade. These are excerpts from his opening address:

—The 1980s will be a decisive decade for freedom, democracy and anti-Communism. Our WACL movement started in response to timely needs and has grown as demanded by the tide of time. We have endeavored to shape a new age and are now at a momentous point of history. Here in Taipei, Republic of China, for our 14th General Conference, we of the World Anti-Communist League are charged with a sublime mission: we are to strive for victory of freedom over Communism in the 1980s.

The vigorous continuous growth of WACL has been possible under the able leadership of Mr. Peter Schifferli as Council Chairman over the past year. He commands our hearty respect.

Started with the dawn of the 80s was the rise of those determined to exert themselves for freedom and democracy, all having awakened from the detente of the last decade. Communist expansion is being checked. The common security systems of Asia and the Pacific have been reinforced. Latin Americans are gallantly striking at Red insurgents. African defenders of freedom have stopped the inroad and spread of Communist forces. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is also adding strength of mobilization against Red aggression. President Reagan has stated the "we are seeing the beginning of the end" of Communist systems. Acting in line with this truthful observation, he is taking a resolute stand against Soviet expansion. His pledge to safeguard freedom and peace with strength has greatly encouraged free nations. The prospect of anti-Communist struggle for freedom in the 1980s is brilliant and indeed cheering.

The decade ahead will certainly see the decline and fall of Communism. Red forces are split and receding. Communist theories have long gone bankrupt. People behind the Iron Curtain have lost all hopes in Communism and are escalating their anti-Red action. The failure of Communist rule already is an universally acknowledged fact. The recent 6th plenum in Peiping clearly showed the extent of Chinese mainland confusion and backwardness resulting from the so-called Mao Tse-tung thought. Quite obvious is that all Red regimes will ultimately fall apart.

WACL in the past 14 years and APACL for 27 years have worked to expose the evil characteristics, communization strategies and united front schemes of Communists. We have made remarkable achievements. We have built a global anti-Communist formation and strengthened our confrontation against international Communists everywhere. In this decade, decisive in terms of freedom, democracy and anti-Communism, we must ever more fully bring forth our spirit of endeavor for man's freedom and strike ever harder at Communists on the ideological, organizational, publicity and other fronts.

Pursuit of freedom can be found in various countries, people, religious sectors and occupational fields. We must bring together this feeling, thinking and strength and expand our anti-Communist formation as a truly strong one involving people throughout the world.

We must call for the rise of young people everywhere, cultivate them as mighty new forces for freedom, and make them the vanguard in the march to a final victory of freedom over Communism in the present decade.

We must positively utilize all channels and all possible methods, letting the mass media and parliaments influence society and governments, as we correct mistaken strategic concepts and see to it that an overall global anti-Communist strategy is worked out and effected.

Anti-Communism is for the freedom of all mankind and peace in the entire world. All those who do not want to become or remain as Communist slaves must now rise in unity and strive as one.

Kingo Machimura, member of the Japanese House of Councilors, said his country is not doing enough to spur the anti-Communist movement. These are excerpts from his address:

—In the decade ahead, the confrontation between the free camp and the Red bloc is bound to intensify and the Communists, the Soviets in particular, will certainly step up their aggression and destruction. To win a decisive victory against the Reds against such a background in the 80s, we must make sure that the following points are well taken care of:

First, "the free nations must remove factors of political and economic unrest and assure stable life for their people." The Communists have always tried to capitalize on political and economic unrest and to fish in troubled waters. "Our basic approach, therefore, is to make sure that no gap or excuse is left the Red forces to take advantage of."

Second, we have to let the people thoroughly understand the dangerous qualities of Communism and instill anti-Communist consciousness in them. Various nations have been working in this direction and some results have been recorded, but persistent efforts should be continued so that the scope of effectiveness can be expanded and the final victory clinched. We are not doing enough in this aspect in Japan and we must enhance our efforts hereafter.

Noel de Burlin, member of the Senate of Belgium, said Communist subversion is especially dangerous in Asia. Excerpts from his address follow:

—The journey that you start today is important because it represents a memory and a political symbol.

Now, symbols are badly needed by our Free World, they constitute an important part of the references on which our political actions are articulated. All places of the world have known in their history many great days and sometimes profound upheavals.

But never has the history of the world known at the same time and on the whole of the globe, the same danger, that of an upheaval of our economic, social and political structure and which concerns all the citizens of this planet in their very home, since it is both an upheaval of the traditional moral values and the choice of a society.

In Asia, you have had many military confrontations, be it in South Korea or in Vietnam and it is evident that militarily speaking, we must be ready.

We must be strong and ready to repulse all political aggressors, because there is no weak power in Asia which does not very rapidly know a military invasion. The recent past proves it—let us then be logical with the recent historical fact and let us be always militarily ready to repulse an aggression or to come to the help of a friendly country when it asks such help.

This seems important to me because in this fight, the solidarity of the nations, their interdependence are total facing the common danger.

In Europe, a little peninsula of a great continent, which is also yours, the military danger also exists, because we are at the side of this huge red Empire which is the U.S.S.R., which gathers considerable military forces the offensive character of which must not be overlooked by us.

We must live with this dangerous reality which imposes on us a considerable military effort, expensive in men and money.

But for you, the military danger is not the only one which we must face, the Communist will to world domination, utilizes also the subversion of the minds and the peaceful conquest of the structures of a country. This subversion is dangerous.

Allan Rocher, member of the Australian Senate, said Communism will be defeated by freedom. Excerpts from his address:

—We are here to promote a cause—which is the choice of all men and women who are free to select and support—the right to be free, to choose freedom, and ensure the demise of world Communism.

This commitment is always on our side; the numbers are always with us.

Free choice always favors those nations that have arranged their institutions in a manner that ensures individual fulfillment, voluntary association, and the ability to act in a civil manner towards one's fellow man.

Refugees to free countries do not' risk their lives to seek oppression and poverty in so-called democratic people's republics. They have—and continue to—risk their all in escaping, often sacrificing their lives in the attempt.

You can't fight Communism with guns. Of course, you can't fight Communist armies without guns.

But a gun is no more effective against conceptual Communism than a fly-swatter is against malaria.

The weapon that will conquer Communism is the love of free people for freedom.

Philip M. Crane, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, said Communism will collapse when the free nations stop supporting it. He said in part:

—One of the grimmest statistics in the history of the twentieth century is reflected in the annals of human misery visited upon the people of Russia and China. "In those two nations (Russia and Red China) alone, it is estimated that as many as eighty million human beings have been put to death since the ascendency of Communism. The enormity of this crime staggers civilized minds, yet there seems little doubt that it has had a monumental and negative impact on the development of these two great societies.

Since Communist ideology is so utterly incapable of producing prosperity and so thoroughly repudiated by its subjects, how is it that it survives? The answer, as upsetting as it is unavoidable, is the aid which Communists have received from the West.

The United States has provided over one billion dollars of foreign aid and assistance to the Soviet Union since 1946. When you consider this along with the 11 or 12 billion dollars contributed in the lend-lease years as well as the Soviet's misuse of American post-World War II occupational currency production capability, the true figure of aid to the heartland of totalitarian Communism is so great that the U.S.S.R., credibly, is one of the foremost beneficiaries of United States aid.

Absent our active support and fate will deal appropriately with Communism in the 1980s. An ideologically bankrupt system that has done such harm to mankind will never be able to stand unsupported by the West.

One of the conference highlights was a mass rally in the Taipei Municipal Stadium with speechmaking and performances by students and military cadets. The throng of more than 60,000 heard from U.S. Representative Edward J. Derwinski and parliamentarians Alan Glyn of the United Kingdom, Albert Cooper of Canada, John Elliott of New Zealand and Heinrich Aigner of West Germany. Representative Derwinski said this year's Captive Nations Week observance received new vitality from President Reagan's proclamation, strongest by an American chief executive since the movement was initiated by President Eisenhower in 1959. "I am positive," he said, "that the cause of freedom will triumph over the Communist enemy and that the people of Free China will play a major role in the victory."

APACL, WACL and AYACL convened their separate meetings during the anti-Communist week. Ku Cheng-kang succeeded Peter Schifferli of Switzerland as chairman of the WACL Council and took the place of Paul Pearson of Australia as head of the APACL Council. Each group held panel sessions and adopted resolutions. Fifty-four of the delegates from 32 countries made a one-day visit to the frontlines bastion of Kinmen (Quemoy) and launched balloons carrying freedom messages and relief goods to the Communist-held Chinese mainland. Among the visitors was Maj. Gen. John K. Singlaub, former chief of staff of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea, who ran afoul of President Jimmy Carter because of his outspoken anti-Communist views.

Dr. Ku summed up the successes of the week's deliberations in an address to the closing ceremony. He said in part:

—We have made many important decisions at the three conferences. We have issued calls for the establishment of a global anti-Communist strategy, for the enhancement of common security systems among free nations, for discarding of policies to play the Chinese Communists off against Soviet Russians, for closer economic and cultural cooperation, and for positive economic and ideological struggles against the Reds. We have made rich gains by pooling our will power.

Even in the course of our conferences, new examples of schemeful international Communist drive were noted. Moscow would not make concession on the issue of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, has not changed its intention to intervene in the Polish workers' campaign, and has been repeatedly showing its military might in Europe and Asia in its unchanged attempt to intimidate the free world. These show that when dealing with enemies, we must be firm and strong, bring forth strength against strength.

The joint communique of APACL, WACL and AYACL cited President Reagan for his anti-Communist leadership and warned the Free World against trying to play off the Chinese Communists against the Soviet Union. Following are excerpts from the communique:

—A thorough examination of the current international situation was made. The participants agreed that President Ronald Reagan's staunch stand against Communism and Soviet Russia serves to cement free nations toward greater unity and cooperation against Communist aggression.

The policy of playing off Red China against Russia is simply illusory, but, on the contrary, leads to a repetition of the catastrophic Yalta history, since both Soviet Russia and Red China aim ultimately to conquer the world. Therefore, the Conference unanimously agreed that Communist aggressions must be thwarted.

The participants have further resolved to appeal:

—to all the free nations to organize themselves into a strong alliance against Communism for the purpose of restoring world peace.

—to the United States to work out a global anti-Communist strategy which will make the best use of the military power, technology and natural resources of the free world and enhance defense arrangements and regional security against Communist infiltration and aggression.

—to the free nations to refrain from supplying arms and equipment to the Communists and, more recently, to the Chinese Communists.

—to all the free nations in Asia and Oceania to improve their defense capabilities in order to share in the responsibility for regional security.

—to all the free African nations to strengthen their unity against Communist expansion and proxy wars of Soviet Russia.

—to the free Latin American nations to reinforce anti-Communist measures and to support the free Cuban struggle against the Castro regime.