US. Representative Lott of Mississippi spoke in the House of Representatives August 15, 1974: "Mr. Speaker, I am today reintroducing House Concurrent Resolution 268. As the new Ford administration begins its work in the White House, the Congress, through support of this resolution, can help give particular meaning to what the President said in his statement to the joint session of Congress on Monday:
"'To our friends in Asia, I pledge a continuity in our support for their security, independence and economic development.'
"The importance that the House of Representatives attributes to this sense of the Congress resolution is reflected in the fact that over 100 members have joined as cosponsors. This broad bipartisan backing embraces all regions of the country and philosophical points of view. The resolution quite simply but forcefully reaffirms American support for the Republic of China as following:
"'The United States government, while engaged in lessening of tensions with the People's Republic of China, do nothing to compromise the freedom of our friend and ally, the Republic of China and its people.'
"The diversity of support for this resolution is entirely understandable as nearly everyone acknowledges the extraordinary achievements made in the past two decades by the Republic of China. Possibly no clearer model exists in the world today of the advancement that can be accomplished in a developing country than does the Republic of China. This nation, unfortunately relegated to the rugged mountainous island of Taiwan, has consistently overcome all adversity and is now approaching the status of a developed nation. In the past decade per capita income has more than tripled from $144 to $467 per year. The International Monetary Fund recently reported that the Republic of China now has the highest per capita gross national product of any developing nation in the free world. Corporations from throughout the world have recognized the stability of the Republic of China and the industriousness of the free Chinese by investing nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in Taiwan last year. And in the first six months of this year additional investments continued at an even higher rate than last year. The growth rate of the free Chinese advanced at a rate of more than 10 per cent so far this year despite continuing international diplomatic and energy difficulties.
"Whatever troubles have arisen elsewhere in Asia, the United States has always been able to rely upon the Republic of China as a base of support. Aside from some military assistance that has been instrumental in preserving the peace in this part of Asia, the Republic of China has neither received nor requested foreign aid from the United States since 1967. Instead, the Nationalist Chinese have been sending their own teams of technical experts to other developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
"Why then, Mr. Speaker, one must ask, does pressure continue in the United States to change this mutually advantageous relationship that has flourished for so many years now? Quite simply we are told that we must break diplomatic relations with our close ally the Republic of China because the Communist rulers in Peking demand this as a necessary step in the so-called 'normalization of relations' between the United States and the 'People's Republic of China.' No one has, however, made a substantial case as to what advantages accrue to the United States from such an action, especially when contrasted with the obvious dangers which will be precipitated. If we recognize the true situation in mainland China, then we must realize how important it is that we do not terminate our successful cooperation with the Republic of China.
"While people throughout the free world have been properly horrified in recent months by the testimony coming out of the Soviet Union concerning the rigid suppression of the people there, virtually nothing has been said about the even more tyrannical regime that exists in Peking. Instead an image carefully cultivated by the Chinese Communists has unfortunately been accepted as reality by far too many Americans who should know better. All Americans were astounded somewhat when during President Nixon's trip to Moscow the Soviet leaders literally pulled the plug on the transmission of unfavorable news concerning dissidents by our major television networks. In mainland China our newsmen have never even had an opportunity to plug in and interview or even film anything that does not suit the rigid guidelines of the Chinese Communist Party. Real news about mainland China continues to come from Hong Kong rather than Peking. There are no "samizdat," or underground publications in Mao's China nor are these any publicly known dissenters from prevailing orthodoxy, because the efficiency of this totalitarian regime is vastly superior to that of the Soviets. Yet, ironically, the frightening effectiveness of their totalitarian system has caused many otherwise compassionate Westerners to express 'admiration' for the so-called advances made under the leadership of 'Chairman' Mao.
"However well the rulers in Peking are able to suppress their own dissenters or restrict the flow of refugees fleeing to Hong Kong, they have still not been able to bring about assured political stability in the party itself. As everyone knows, figures who stand as heirs-apparent in the Communist leadership, such as former Defense Minister Lin Piao, become objects of campaigns of national scorn. Now Teng Hsiao-ping, routed in the so-called Cultural Revolution several years ago, has often displaced Chou En-lai by sitting to the right of Mao Tse-tung. The July 20, 1974, issue of the Economist comments on the increasingly fluid situation in the structure of the Communist hierarchy in Red China. With the apparent illness of Chou En-lai, they find that only Mao could prevent (Red) China from sliding back into factional warfare, cultural revolution-style. But any peace that Mao can patch up is unlikely to last a day longer than the 80-year-old 'Chairman' himself.
"The United States must not predicate her policy in Asia upon either the physical or political survival of anyone or two men in Communist China. Given the structure of political maneuverings in the politburo, the United States can receive no firm assurance of what is likely to happen in mainland China in the weeks and months ahead.
"In sharp contrast to the calculated mystery that engulfs the politics of mainland China, the complete openness of the society in Taiwan leaves no doubt about the continued stability and friendship which the Republic of China guarantees to the United States. In possibly no other area of the world in recent years have American objectives of fostering peace and prosperity been so successful at so little cost to the United States as they have been in this part of East Asia. Although great antagonism continues to exist between the regime on mainland China and the government of Chiang Kai-shek and at some points their armies stand less than 2 miles away from each other, no substantial armed conflict has occurred between them for over a decade. One of the surest ways to undermine this situation and possibly encourage massive fighting and suffering among the people of China would be to terminate our diplomatic relations and pledges of military assistance to the Republic of China.
"After so much suffering has taken place in so many other countries of Asia in recent years as the Communist forces have relentlessly pursued their expansionist designs, can we in clear conscience encourage possible warfare involving our oldest and closest ally in Asia? Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Members of this body must reject any such possibility. Red China may need tacit American diplomatic support in her ideological struggle with her fellow Communists in the Soviet Union. But if they genuinely desire our assistance in maintaining stability for their benefit on the Siberian border we should not be acquiescing to their demands that we break our alliance with the free people of the Republic of China. If anything we should demand, as we have in trade negotiation with the Soviet Union, that they allow freedom of emigration from their country, end their policy of cultural genocide or provide some other sign that they will relax their repressive policies against the Chinese people. 'Normalization of relations' must not mean the sacrifice of either our allies or our ideals. By supporting this resolution the Members of the Congress can reaffirm their own dedication to our basic principles.
"I include a copy of my resolution and a complete list of the cosponsors at this point in the Record" (followed by the resolution and namelist).
National Review - Sons of Confucius
The National Review published August 30, 1974, this report by Russell Kirk: "Not many days ago, I stood atop a concealed battery in Quemoy, the island fortress of the Republic of China. Quemoy lies within swimming distance of the Chinese mainland, just off Amoy; it is the farthest- flung defense of civilization against the Cultural Revolution.
"When I write 'civilization' with reference to China, I mean the pattern of moral and social order which Confucius gave to the Chinese people, five centuries before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Until the Communists seized power, there subsisted a longer ethical and social continuity in China than anywhere else in the world, and that continuity was founded upon the teachings of Confucius. Nowadays the remnant of that great continuity may be found only in Taiwan and its dependencies, and among some of the overseas Chinese. Yet fanatic ideology is ephemeral, and tradition may reassert itself - if the break in continuity is not greatly prolonged.
"In Communist China, the ferocious campaign against the influence of Confucius has been renewed. Chiang Ching, the wife of Mao Tse-tung, has been preaching a crusade against the dead Confucius and (insane conjunction!) the dead Lin Piao, Communist ideologue. Only a few weeks ago, at Chufu, the birthplace of Confucius, tremendous quantities of Confucian classics were burnt publicly. These had been confiscated from private libraries.
"During my recent fortnight in Taiwan, I conversed with Mr. Tsai Wei-ping, vice minister of foreign affairs for ROC. He believes that Mao developed the anti-Confucius crusade as a whip with which to flog Lin Piao, when that previously useful zealot had grown too great. In his youth, Lin Piao had written an essay or two about Confucius; this early indiscretion could be employed to prove that Lin was no true Marxist, but a reactionary secretly bent upon undoing the Glorious Revolution. Also, many other eminent Chinese Communists having naively flirted with Confucian thought in their salad days, this whip of scorpions could be employed against such of them, from time to time, as might require liquidation - Chou En-lai, for instance.
Doubtless there is truth in this hypothesis; yet not the whole truth. Chinese Communist detestation of Confucius began earlier than the conspiracy against Lin, and indeed is a logical necessity for the Cultural Revolution. For Marxism professes to be a complete ethical and social system, supplanting all the fallacious systems of earlier ages. The teachings of Confucius must be extirpated utterly, if the teachings of Marx and his Chinese disciples are to prevail forever. Just so, the Russian Communists correctly recognize the necessary opposition of Christian belief to Marxist faith (even though Marxism is a heresy from Christianity); but they have not ventured upon quite so merciless a program as the Chinese (Communists).
"Marxism, in fine, is an inverted religion, and its dogmas cannot tolerate the competition of other religions and philosophies. Confucianism also is a religion-though a religion in the sense that we speak of 'the religion of Plato.' The great sage was a humanist - concerned, as was Socrates for the most part, primarily with the ethical, rather than the metaphysical and transcendent. If one reads Confucius and the commentators upon him, one discovers that political order had primacy with Confucius, and that Confucius' concept of justice is as inimical to the Marxist concept of justice as is the theory of justice expounded by Plato and Cicero. Therefore the Communists cannot tolerate the Confucian classics.
"This hard truth is recognized increasingly by the Nationalist Chinese of Taiwan; indeed, the mainland assault upon Confucius has had one happy result, the renewal of attention to Confucius by the ROC people. Mr. James Wei, president of Taiwan's Central News Agency, told me that truth and health may be found in Confucius - something that the head of the Associated Press, say, probably would not volunteer about Plato or Christ. Although President Chiang Kai-shek is a Christian, the policy of the ROC government encourages a Confucian revival.
"At Sun Moon Lake, high in the hills of Taiwan, a tremendous temple of Confucius is being completed, no expense spared - splendid carved marbles, gorgeous shrines, all the startling color and detail of traditional temple architecture; the temple's gongs resound over the beautiful lake night and day. It is an assertion of China's moral and intellectual patrimony.
"Confucianism is a philosophy and a religion of right reason. It is better to dwell in imminent peril of wolves, said Confucius, than to live under an unjust government." (Partial text)