The scene is Washington, D.C., October 23, 1987, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building. After a lengthy day of seminar meetings concerning ROC-U.S. trade, Dr. Fredrick F. Chien rises to speak to the gathered legislators from both countries. In line with his established reputation in Washington, the speaker has assessed his audience well. They already know the basic facts about the ROC-U.S. trade imbalance, and how the issue has become a major thorn in the side of both countries; no need to expand on this topic.
But Chien knows that his audience, after appraising those facts, holds rather divergent conclusions. He is therefore direct, avoiding the litany of facts and figures about how Taiwan's near miraculous growth during recent decades has made it one of the world's most successful NICs. Instead, he outlines six perceptions of the trade issue, three from each country. They are uncomfortably critical. Chien carefully states that although the views may in fact be mistaken, they nevertheless exist. The theme of his brief presentation is thus two-fold.
First, an "erroneous perception" of the U.S.-ROC trade relations "may be dangerous to the future relationship between our two nations." Second, "the prospect of a growing and ever-extended trade relationship" between the two countries can be expected "if both sides really put their heads together and work out satisfactory solutions to the existing problems." The remainder of his remarks sheds considerable light on the realities, clears the air of any residue rhetoric, and sets the scene for concrete action.
The speech is but one of 224 Chien gave in the United States during his service as the ROC government's "top man in Washington." A decade ago his title would have been "Ambassador." But under the terms of the April 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, following termination of formal U.S.-ROC diplomatic ties after Washington established relations with Peking, his "unofficial" quasi-diplomatic status gave him the convoluted title "Representative of the Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA)."
Despite the name, the reality in this case was a whirlwind schedule of nearly six years (from January 1983 to August 1988) in pursuit of four policy goals: (1) to improve the long historical ties between the U.S. and ROC; (2) to work for increased trade, investment, and economic relations as well as expanded cultural, scientific, and technological cooperation; (3) to prevent any decrease in American arms sales to Taiwan, in order to ensure the freedom of the people on Taiwan; and (4) to urge full implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act.
Chien, assisted by a staff of over 200 in Washington and another 11 CCNAA offices across the U.S., pursued these goals through constant visits to Capitol Hill, private luncheons and dinners, and social functions at his official residence of Twin Oaks, in the Cleveland Park district of Washington.
The job required constant communication of facts, clarification of perceptions, and dealing with the realities of day to day frictions between the U.S. and the ROC. The word was often spread through speeches to key U.S. audiences in and outside Washington: to politicians and other decision-makers, academics, private interest groups, "friends of China," civic organizations, newsmen, world affairs councils—Chien averaged more than three major speeches per month. Each focused on ROC-U.S. relations, and as Chien frequently stated, "four-fifths" of his time was consumed on trade issues.
Faith and Resilience is a selection of 42 speeches Chien gave in the U.S. before returning to Taipei to become Minister of State and Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development. As can be expected in any collection of speeches of this nature, repetition of facts at times threatens to overwhelm the reader. This happens primarily in the first half-dozen speeches. One may well ask, for example, who would be interested in 1983 figures about Taiwan's economic status, except as a basis of comparison with the rather astounding growth telescoped in the few years since then.
The somewhat sluggish opening is unfortunate, for the speeches in the remainder of the book are much stronger—perhaps reflecting that the speaker himself had found a more effective "voice." Many of these speeches include transcribed question and answer sessions. These, whether early or late in Chien's tenure, deserve a close reading. Chien knows how to answer questions. His replies are clear, logical, crammed with information, and have an effective "tone."
This tone is learned, sincere, and at times humorous. Chien also gains quick rapport with his audiences through his knowledge of Americana, a sensitivity due in part to his years earning M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Yale. He has also done his homework. See, for example, his speeches in 1984 at the New York Law School and in 1985 at the Yale Law School on the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act and subsequent establishment of CCNAA; or the question and answer session on international affairs at Georgetown University in 1986; or his 1986 address at Harvard on Taiwan's progress toward democracy. All of the 1988 speeches deserve a close reading, especially his speech at the Town Hall of California at Los Angeles (the source of this book's title).
An appendix of reprints from the news media is strikingly useful in providing more information about Chien himself. The best of these is an article by Mark London entitled "Fred Chien and the Tobacco War of 1986: How Taiwan's man in Washington made his peace with Marlboro Country." It shows how the man in the middle dealt with an issue extremely sensitive to both governments. In the process it illustrates how Chien in reality measured up to his own personally-stated philosophy: "Most workers reach their destination. Most doers reach their goals."—(Dr. Richard R. Vuylsteke is editor of the Free China Review and director of Area Studies at the Chinese Language and Area Studies School in Taipei.)