Cease-fire in Indo-China
After seven years and seven months of fighting, the Indo-China conflict was brought to an end. An avalanche of editorials in the Chinese press in commented on the subject, regarding the Indo-China peace as a Communist victory and a severe blow to the free world and expressing the view that it may encourage the Communists to commit further aggression.
Branding the settlement as appeasement, the Central Daily News editorially stated on July 22 that "it is a definite Communist victory. We should know by now that the Communist desire for expansion is insatiable. To satisfy one desire would only bring forth new ones. The Indo-China peace will, therefore, not bring peace to the world but will only engulf the free world in greater and more serious troubles in future." The stand taken by the throughout the Geneva Conference was highly lauded by the paper which said: "Her resolute and clear-cut stand in the present case will go a long way in reestablishing the faith and confidence of those countries in which are facing the Communist menace. To alleviate their fears, it behooves the to promote a Southeast Asia Treaty Organization com parable to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization without further delay."
In another editorial on July 23, the same paper termed "the Indo-China settlement a Far Eastern Munich mainly due to the lack of unity among the democratic countries," "If peace could be won at the sacrifice of a large slice of Indo-China territory and the 12,000,000 population," continued the paper, "it might be possible to justify the settlement. The tragedy of the Indo China peace, however, is that it certainly will not insure 'peace in our time.' On the contrary, it may well prove the beginning of another aggression in the making," The paper declared that "the free nations would do well to take this lesson to heart, close their ranks and devise ways and means to meet all possible new threats to world peace before it is too late."
"In spite of the assurance given by 's Premier Pierre Mendes-France that the truce in Indo-China would be a 'peace with honor,' the Communists, in less than eight years, has won a lion's share of Indo-China," said an editorial by the independent Kung Lun Pao on July 22. "However," the paper continued, "to it may be the most ideal solution of the problem under the existing circumstances. Despite the loss of half of Vietnam, the other half is still intact," The paper regarded the war in Indo-China as a continuation of the Korean War, by which it meant that the intensification of the Indo-China War was a result of the conclusion of the Korean War. "Now that the Indo-China War has been brought to an end," added the paper "we have to watch carefully the next Communist move. This does not mean, of course, that the cease fire in Indo-China makes a general war more likely. In the immediate suture at least, the Communists may possibly step up their political offensive. They are likely to try every means to seat the puppet regime in the United Nations. We have, therefore, to maintain a high degree of alertness and frustrate this attempt of the communists by every conceivable means in cooperation with our allies."
In its editorial on July 22, the Chung Hua Jih Pao asserted that "both from the geographical and military points of view, the portion of Indo-China that still remains tree is indefensible and will fall prey to the Communists in the course of time." "Even if it were not taken by military conquest," continued the paper, "it would ultimately fall into their hands through the general election set for 1956 as provided by the armistice agreement. With the greater part of the population north of the 17th Parallel entirely at their mercy, the Communists can easily influence the people in the south to vote in their favor by means of terrorism and propaganda tactics."
"The Indo-China truce is a complete surrender, instead of a 'peace with honor' as Mendes France claimed," declared the Combined Daily editorially on the same day. "It is," the daily continued, "ipso facto, a great loss to the free world whose position has been rendered more vulnerable because of the selfishness and cowardliness of ." In the opinion of the daily, "the truce in Indo-China has caused the world situation to enter upon a new phase. The Communists, fresh from their new diplomatic victory, are likely to step up their political offensive by creating dissensions among the democratic countries," "The position of Free China," predicted the paper, "will be increasingly difficult. But we need not be pessimistic about it. We have overcome many difficulties in the past and will pull ourselves through this time as well."
"The results of the Indo-China War serve as a lesson to us. It teaches us as nothing else can that dependence on others would only bring about self-destruction. Having gone through untold sufferings and hardships in the past eight years, the Vietnamese people were finally sold down the river by France, simply because they had too much confidence in the latter and too little confidence in themselves," declared the Youth Daily in its editorial on July 22. The paper believed that with the hot war in Indo-China brought to an end, the Communists would step up the cold war. Their main efforts in Asia would be to seat the Peiping puppet regime in the United Nations and to break up the anti-Communist alliance in . "The period of cold war," continued the paper, "will possibly be a short one. A new military adventure would then be launched again. The most likely objective would be either or . But it does not mean that the Communists would not attack , which is in fact also one of their important military targets. Thus we have to be on the alert and make all preparations for such an eventuality."
In an editorial on July 21, the China News asserted that "the Indo-China peace is a clear sellout of the free Vietnam people and represents another Western-fostered Communist victory over the dwindling Asian land masses," In doing so, the paper continued, "the free world is losing another round in the Asian bout and is pushing the Free Asians one step closer to the mercy of Kremlin-publicized slogan "Asia for the (Communist) Asians."
Declaring that the partition of Indo-China is the greatest Communist victory since the fall of the Chinese mainland, the China Post, in its editorial on July 23, analyzed the economic aspects of the Communist conquest of Indo-. "With the peninsula in their possession," the paper pointed out, "the Communists can head for , , and other Southeast Asian countries by land. The con quest of would greatly add to the material resources of the Communist bloc." Now that a large portion of Indo-China is under their control, continued the paper, "it will not only ease the rice shortage of the Communist bloc but also enable them to obtain directly from the South-east Asian countries large quantities of rubber, petroleum, tin, and other minerals which are essential to arms production. Furthermore, it will neutralize the United Nations embargo on the shipment of strategic materials to the Communist bloc. Henceforth, they will be able to import as much as they want by land without fear of being intercepted by Allied forces on the sea.”
In another article on the following day, the same paper termed the Indo-China truce "a humiliating defeat" of the democracies, which was brought about by the following factors. "The first is France's political instability, which has made it impossible for anyone of the some twenty Cabinets she has had since the end of World War II to pursue a sustained policy with vigor and confidence. The second is 's attitude of apathy and in difference and desire to appease the Communists with a view to obtaining more trade with the Russian satellites. The third is the ' failure to assert her world leadership in a more dynamic manner and her tendancy to attack too much importance to 's attitude."
Welcome to the Advisory Economic Group
In extending a warm welcome to the Economic Advisory Group to Free China, all the local vernaculars expressed the hope that Mr. Steffan and the members of his Group will give their frank expert opinion on the economic ills of , so as to facilitate the industrialization of the country and other economic reforms.
While conveying its hearty welcome to the Economic Advisory Group to Free China, the Central Daily News, in its editorial on August 10, indicated that "largely through the concerted efforts of the Government and people and the assistance rendered to us by the United States in the form of economic and military aid, Taiwan has become a strong anti-Communist bastion in the Far East and achieved a reasonable measure of progress in economic development." "At a time when we are addressing ourselves assiduously to the task of the industrialization of our country and the improvement of its economic system and administration," continued the paper, "we are in need of whatever suggestions beneficial to our economic reconstruction Mr. Steffan and the members of his Group can give to us."
"Despite the great stride that has been made in the past few years through the indefatigable efforts of our government and people," declared the Kung Lun Pao editorially on the same day, "there is still much room for improvement. The members of the Economic Advisory Group, who are all distinguished authorities on economic affairs in their own country, will have much to offer to help us lay a sound economic foundation. In addition to placing at their disposal all facilities to help them carryon their work, we have to give them unbiased views and true facts so that they can make a correct diagnosis of our economic ills."
Wishing the Economic Advisory Group the successful completion of its mission, the Combined Daily, in a leading article on August 10, said that the most urgent problems which beset our Government are how to balance the revenues and expenditures; how to balance international receipts and payments; and how to balance production and consumption. "With their profound knowledge and experience," continued the daily, we hope they can help us solve these problems and particularly work out a feasible program to coordinate military and economic aid to Free China." However, it added, "no amount of expert advice can be of any service to us unless we can make up our mind to put it into practice."
Voicing the hope that "the visit of the mission composed of experts will bring about an overall economic reform which will further speed up the economic reforms of the island," the China Post stated editorially on August 13 that through its own efforts and thanks to the large amount of U. S. aid, "Free China managed to tide over all its economic and financial difficulties. During the past five years, a great stride has been made alone various lines." "Despite the rapid economic development," the paper continued, "there are, however, still many serious problems, among which are: how to utilize the land to the best advantage, how to encourage foreign investment in , and how to meet the increasing financial need with the limited resources of the island."
Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League
The of the Asian peoples' Anti-Communist League, which was inaugurated in on July 31, is a direct outcome of the Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist Conference held at Chinhae in in the middle of June. It was regarded by the local press as another milestone in the Free Asians' struggle to stem the tide of Communist aggression and preserve their own freedom.
"The very nature and composition of the Chinese. Center of the Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League," declared the Central Daily News in its editorial on July 31, "is unique in the anti-Communist history of Free China. It is the first anti-Communist organization which is nation-wide in scope and can claim among its members 365 organizations, including political parties, representative organs and civic bodies of all levels.” "Among the Asiatic countries," the paper continued, "the attitude toward Communism is divergent. There are some people who are staunchly against it, others who take a neutralist stand, and still others who have recognized the puppet regime in . For this reason, the cooperation among them has not been as close as it should be. The immediate task for the League is to widen the basis of representation for the Second Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist Conference, which is scheduled to take place at in October, so as to facilitate the formation of the Anti-Communist united front of all Asiatic countries.”
"The formation of the Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League is an eloquent proof of the growing consciousness on the part of the people in Asia of the Communist menace, thus marking another milestone in the free Asians' struggle against totalitarian Communism,' asserted the Hsin Sheng Pao editorially on July 31. "To effectively combat Communism," continued the paper, "calls for united efforts of all anti-Communist Asiatic countries and people. Communism, being a global organization, can only be met with the combined strength of all free countries and peoples."
Declaring that the mission which the Chinese Center of the Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League undertakes is historic and vitally important," the Youth Daily in an editorial on the same day stated that its most urgent problems are threefold: to unify all the anti-Communist forces of the world; to expose to the world the treacherous designs of the Soviet imperialists for world conquest; and to establish a united anti-Communist front.” But to attain the above-mentioned objectives, the paper continued, "we have first of all to bring home to the people of the world a crucial but all-important fact, i.e. all the troubles in Asia today have arisen from the fact that the· Chinese mainland has fallen into the hands of the Communists. It is only through the liberation of the mainland that we may hope to bring about the solution of the problems of and Indo-China and the peace of the world."