Taiwan Today

His Joint Statement With President Johnson Declares That The Mainland Power Struggle Is Far From Over and Pledges Continuing Sino-U.S. Consultations on Future Developments

Since its establishment in 1911, the Republic of China has had three figures of outstanding international renown: Founding Father Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who died in 1925, and President and Madame Chiang Kai-shek. A fourth name was added to the list in May of 1967—that of Vice President and Premier Yen Chia-kan, who scored a signal success in his three-week official visit to the United States. Except for Madame Chiang, who long has enjoyed immense popularity in her American "second home", no Chinese has been more warmly and enthusiastically received by leaders and people of the world's most powerful country.

Partly this was because the Vice President spoke with the voice of President Chiang, who has never been to the United States and who has pledged that he will not leave Taiwan until the moment of return to the Chinese mainland. But it was also a reflection of the deep sincerity and high intelligence of C.K. Yen. The Vice President spoke to the Americans fluently in their own language. He answered their questions candidly. And he conveyed total support of the U.S. stand against aggression at a time when Americans are deeply concerned about the war in Vietnam.

Free China's chemist-economist-financier-statesman had able support from a back-up team that included Minister of Economic Affairs K.T. Li and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sampson Shen. The Vice President set a man-killing pace with a dozen major addresses, several nationwide television appearances, and off-the-cuff speeches to overseas Chinese communities across the vastness of America. He impressed with the warmth of his personality as well as by what he had to say.

Vice President Yen and his party left for Tokyo by China Air Lines the morning of May 6. In a departure statement, he expressed hope that the trip would promote "the traditional friendship and understanding between the Republic of China and the United States". He talked with Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, who will come to Taipei later this year, in Tokyo, and drove 50 miles outside the city to see former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, one of free China's warmest friends. Yoshida, 90 years old, has been ill for several months and Yen was the first guest he had received in some time. The "grand old man" of Japan's postwar statesmen told Yen that Japan and China "must hold their hands tight together to form the stabilizing force in Asia", and urged expand Sino-Japanese cooperation in various fields.

Air Force 1

The Vice President's U.S. port of entry was San Francisco, where he received a rousing welcome from leaders of the world's largest "Chinatown" and also from the representatives of Chinese communities throughout the American West. He told newsmen: "The world situation is changing. I see the day nearer than ever before for a united, democratic, and peaceful China. That China will be in cooperation with the rest of the world."

President Lyndon B. Johnson had sent Air Force 1—his personal plane—to San Francisco to pick up the Vice President. C.K. Yen and his party landed at Langley Air Force base in Virginia on Monday, May 8, and went immediately to Williamsburg to tour the restored 18th century streets and buildings of the old colonial town. The next morning the Vice President boarded a helicopter and was flown to a landing on the ellipse between the Washington Monument and the White House. The procession drove past displays of Chinese and American flags and entered the southwest gate of the White House grounds. At the diplomatic entrance to the American presidential residence, President Johnson and Vice President Yen greeted each other in a warm reunion. They first met when Johnson, then Vice President, visited Taipei in 1961. On the platform for the ceremonial greeting were President and Mrs. Johnson; Vice President and Mrs. Yen; Secretary of State Dean Rusk; Chinese Ambassador to Washington Chow Shu-kai; General Bruce Holloway, vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force; Ambassador to China Walter McConaughy; and Ambassador James Symington, the State Department chief of protocol. The national anthems of the two countries were played and Vice President Yen was honored by a 19-gun salute. The President accompanied Vice President Yen in review of the honor guard, and then welcomed his guest as a leader of a nation that has "staunchly maintained its independence on the frontier of freedom in Asia". Vice President Yen replied that the Republic of China "is proud to pledge its support to the resolute stand of the United States against aggression and in the preservation of peace and freedom in my part of the world". President and Vice President had an hour's talk before a welcoming luncheon party at the White House. Nearly 150 distinguished guests attended, including many distinguished Chinese residing in the United States and many Americans with long and close relations with the Republic of China.

More Than Memos

In his luncheon toast, President Johnson said: "There is an old American proverb that says, 'An hour's intelligent conversation is worth a thousand memos'. This morning I have had the privilege of such a conversation with a wise and devoted friend of the United States, Vice President C.K.Yen of the Republic of China. Mr. Vice President, we are delighted to have you here with us, both for personal reasons and because your presence is symbolic of a long and cherished bond between our two peoples . . .

Our countries are joined by a treaty of mutual defense, but our alliance goes deeper. It is an alliance tested in times of war, tempered by our struggle against forces that would have destroyed us both. We were loyal to that alliance then. We are loyal to it today. We are firmly committed to the defense of Taiwan, and to upholding your rights as a member of the United Nations. Mr. Vice President, we in America admire what you have done to bring economic prosperity to Taiwan. We are proud to have helped you. Taiwan's land reform program is outstanding in Asia - a model for countries around the world. In the past 15 years, you have doubled your per capita gross national product so that your people now enjoy one of the highest standards of living in all Asia. But the Republic of China has gone far beyond any selfish consideration of its fortunes-you have helped other countries to help themselves. As valiant soldiers in the war against hunger and want—the war on which the future of civilization depends—farmers and technicians from Taiwan have traveled to other countries, other continents, to offer help to less fortunate peoples. Mr. Vice President, I have witnessed some of these miracles myself. I hope that your visit here will further encourage your people-and give us the opportunity to repay the warm hospitality which I enjoyed during my visit six years ago to your dynamic country. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast to the President of the Republic of China, and to lasting friendship between the Chinese and American peoples."

C. K. Yen's Response

Vice President Yen responded: "First of all, I would like to express my appreciation for the honor you did me, of inviting me to visit this great country. My wife and I are deeply grateful to you, Mrs. Johnson, and all those who are here today. I have brought to you, Mr. President, and to Mrs. Johnson, not only the warm greetings of President and Madame Chiang Kai-shek, but also the affectionate regards of the people of the Republic of China, who have cherished to this day the kindest remembrance of your visit to my country in 1961. It was in the course of your visit to Taipei six years ago, almost to the day, that our two governments reaffirmed their determination to defend and extend the frontiers of freedom in Asia. Since then, while the advance of the dark forces of Communism seems to have been stemmed in some parts of Asia, the United States bas chosen to honor its commitment by responding militarily to the Communist attempt at domination in Southeast Asia. As an ally and a free nation, the Republic of China is proud to pledge its support to the resolute stand of the United States in upholding the cause of freedom and justice in our part of the world. The traditional ties of friendship, binding your country and mine, are of long standing and have withstood the test of trying events that have overtaken us for over a century. Both our countries are dedicated to the principles of justice, democracy, and human progress based on peace and harmony. My present visit to the United States, brief as it is, will afford me the opportunity of discussing with you, Mr. President, on a broad range of subjects of mutual interest with particularly reference to those concerning Asia and of benefiting from the wisdom of your thinking. I am also looking forward to the pleasure of meeting with the leaders in your administration, members of the Congress, and citizens in all walks of life, many of whom I have the privilege of claiming as my good friends. It is my sincere hope that my visit will serve to promote better understanding and to further strengthen the friendly relations between our two nations."

President Johnson and Vice President Yen exchanged gifts. President Johnson gave the Vice President hi-fi sound equipment, recordings, a box decorated with the presidential seal, and an autographed family photograph in a silk frame. To President Chiang Kai-Shek the American chief executive sent leather bound copies of Volumes I and II of his public papers. For Mrs. Yen there was a silver coffee set from the Williamsburg collection. President Chiang sent President Johnson Tang dynasty pottery figures of horse and rider. Vice President and Mrs. Yen presented the Johnsons with 6 by 12-foot water-color of Taroko Gorge by Taiwan-born Ran Inting. Madame Chiang sent a piece of carved jade to Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Yen gave America's first lady a jade vase.

The afternoon of May 9, Vice President Yen paid a call on Speaker of the House of Representatives John W. McCormack and then spoke to Chinese faculty members and students of colleges and universities in the Washington area. In the evening Secretary and Mrs. Dean Rusk were dinner hosts to Vice President and Mrs. Yen at the State Department.

Breakfast of Leaders

Vice President Yen met with six leading Senators and eight prominent members of the House of Representatives at breakfast May 10. The Senators were Warren Magnuson of Washington, John Sparkman of Alabama, Everett Jordan of North Carolina, Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania, Jack Miller of Iowa, and Charles Percy of Illinois. Representatives included Armed Forces Committee Chairman L. Mendel Rivers, Minority Leader Gerald Ford, Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Clement J. Zablocki, Democratic Floor Leader Hale Boggs, Appropriations Committee Chairman George H. Mahon, Otto Passman, Joe D. Wagoner, and Basil Whitener. Later in the morning the Vice President went to the State Department for discussions with Secretary Rusk and then called on Vice President Hubert Humphrey.

At noon, President Chiang's right-hand man addressed members of the Washington press corps at the National Press Club. He pledged the full cooperation of the Republic of China with the United States and all peace-loving countries in the event of Chinese Communist intervention in the Vietnam war. He said, however, that massive intervention is improbable, because "conditions on the mainland are such that Peiping simply cannot now afford to involve itself in an all-out war with the United States". He said the Chinese Communists are fighting the war by proxy and controlling Hanoi through its grip on supply lines and its provision of training personnel that "keep a close watch on Ho (Chi Minh)". The Vice President declared people on the mainland are becoming "aware there is an alternative to Communist tyranny" - the alternative of the Republic of China. He went on to cite the progress of Taiwan and expressed confidence that the Chinese people behind the Iron Curtain soon will opt for freedom and the better life that the Republic of China holds out.

Joint Statement

Textually, the most important result of the Washington visit was the joint statement of President Johnson and Vice President Yen (see Documents section of this issue). President Johnson reaffirmed U.S. commitments set forth in the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1954. Vice President Yen pointed out that the Chinese Communists pose a continuing threat, and President Johnson pledged that the United States will continue to provide military assistance to the Republic of China. There had been earlier indications that the amount would be increased in the 1967-68 fiscal year. An important paragraph said: "The President and Vice President reviewed the international situation, with particular reference to the current situation in East Asia. They exchanged information and views on conditions on the Chinese mainland resulting from the cultural revolution. They agreed that the struggle for power is far from over and that developments on the Chinese mainland are closely related to the peace and security of Asia. They further agreed to consult on future developments on the Chinese mainland." Such consultations could be of great consequence. Some observers said such discussions point in the direction of the Republic of China's mainland return. On Vietnam, the two leaders agreed that unless the aggression is stopped, there can be no peace and security in Asia and the Pacific region. President Johnson expressed gratification with the Republic of China's contributions to development of the South Vietnamese economy. Vice President Yen expressed hope the ROC can increase economic and technical cooperation with the Republic of Vietnam. Further consultations will take place on problems of common concern in East Asia. President Johnson promised continuing support for the Republic of China in the United Nations. The two countries will consult closely on the accomplishment of their common U.N. objectives. The U.S. chief executive paid tribute to the Republic of China's economic development and its foreign assistance program. He offered to send his science adviser, Dr. Hornig, and a team of experts to Taiwan to survey scientific and technological assets and needs of the Republic of China. The statement concluded: "President Johnson and Vice President Yen reaffirmed the strong tics between the United States and the Republic of China founded on the historic friendship between the Chinese and American peoples."

Message to Taiwan

Before departing for Cape Kennedy, Florida, May 11, Vice President Yen told the people at home in a Broadcasting Corporation of China interview that American leaders ate watching the mainland situation with deep interest.

He said he told U.S. Congressmen that only when the Communist regime is overthrown by the Chinese Government Jed by President Chiang Kai-shek can people of the mainland live in peace. "If the United States wants to maintain its traditional friendship with the Chinese people, it should help us in eliminating the Peiping regime," he said. At Cape Kennedy, he spent four hours viewing the United States' spaceport and described the program as "a great effort backed by brave people". On May 12, he flew on to Houston, Texas, to see the manned spacecraft center. Arriving at Ellington Air Force Base, he repeated that the Vietnam war is not likely to lead to a confrontation between the Peiping regime and the United States. He spent the afternoon at the center and then attended a reception and dinner sponsored by Chinese businessmen and Chinese Consul General Chu Tsing-kang. He met with Chinese scholars and students the morning of May 13 before flying to New York.

Upon arrival in America's largest city, he told the press that the free world should remain firm in its attitude toward the war in Vietnam. Asked if the Republic of China would send troops to Vietnam, he said: "We will do whatever is in the interests of the free world." He said he has found "the people of this country are very firmly backing the common cause of democracy, freedom, and human dignity". His New York stay gave him opportunity to meet with Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, Mayor John Lindsay, many of America's business and industrial leaders, and members of one of the country's largest and most influential Chinese communities.

Meet the Press

On May 14, he was guest on the nationwide Meet the Press television show. Questioned by a panel of distinguished reporters, he made these points:

—Free Chinese troops are pinning down large Chinese Communist forces across the mainland straits but the Republic of China will do "anything else necessary" for the advantage of the free world. This probably would include dispatch of troops to Vietnam.

—Internal turmoil on the Chinese mainland may result in "rash action" by the Communists, but their preference is to "fight by proxy" in Vietnam. He said Peiping would try to sabotage any attempt of Hanoi to make peace. If the Chinese Reds enter the Vietnam war, "we are ready to fight" them, he added.

—Under President Chiang Kai-shek, the free Chinese people will never falter in their aspiration to return to the mainland.

—Hundreds of millions of Chinese people on the mainland arc not anti-American but are forced to toe the Communist line.

—Peiping-inspired riots in Hongkong are a part of Chinese Communist psychological warfare conducted in overseas communities to capitalize on a "narrow sense of chauvinism". However, the Chinese Reds cannot afford to lose Hongkong.

Mainland Plans

Also on May 14 an all-girl color guard and fife and drum corps of Chinese school children welcomed Vice President Yen to New York's "Chinatown". He thanked overseas Chinese for their help in making Taiwan an economic success. He said the contrast between the island province of the Republic of China and the Communist-held mainland is one between "heaven and hell". He had luncheon of Cantonese-style noodles and fried rice with scholars, teachers, and students.

On May 15, free China's deputy leader met with Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations for nearly an hour. U Thant gave a luncheon in his honor. The Vice President toured the U.N. buildings and met with Chinese employees of the Secretariat. Addressing a dinner given in his honor by distinguished Americans, the Vice President urged increased U.S. investment in free China. He said Taiwan has "turned the corner on our way to a modern, open, industrialized society". Speaking of the mainland, he said: "The present turmoil and chaos which have shattered the myth of a stable and monolithic Communist regime in power should not be allowed to go on indefinitely. . . It is the duty of my government, and that of the free countries, to demonstrate to them that ours is the better of the two systems and to assure them that we are behind them . . . Once the Chinese people have made their choice . . . we shall launch the greatest building program the world has ever seen. Instead of promoting 'people's wars of liberation' in foreign lands, we shall give top priority to the war on poverty in our own provinces. Instead of squandering away China's limited resources on nuclear projects for aggression, we shall embark on nuclear research for peaceful purposes. And instead of pursuing ideological quarrels based on the dream of world revolution, we shall throw open our doors and welcome capital and technical know-how from all friendly countries. "

On May 16, C.K. Yen told a luncheon attended by business and industrial leaders about Taiwan's boom in electronics and petrochemicals. He cited the advantages of the Republic of China's foreign investment law and said it has attracted US$160 million worth of overseas Chinese and foreign capital since 1960. In the evening the Chinese mission to the United Nations gave a reception honoring Vice President and Mrs. Yen. More than a thousand American leaders attended.

Chicago and Seattle

It was on to Chicago the next day. The Vice President was greeted at the airport by Governor Otto Kerner of Illinois and Consul General W. S. Lee. To reporters he repeated his prediction that the Chinese Communists will not dare to enter the Vietnam war. He was welcomed by Mayor Richard J. Daley at the Civil Center and then attended the mayor's luncheon. In the evening he attended a reception given by Consul General Lee and was the guest of Chinese-American leaders at a dinner in Chicago's "Chinatown". On May 18 he met with Chinese scholars, teachers, and students from Middle Western colleges and universities. The Communists are trying to destroy Chinese culture on the mainland, he told them. Three members of the American Committee for the Liberation of Mainland China presented him with "Liberate Mainland China" badges.

In Seattle, the metropolis of the American northwest, the Vice President said May 18 that a firm stand by Hongkong authorities would bring Communist rioting in the British crown colony to an end. Firecrackers exploded as he visited the Seattle Chinese community. Children sang, danced, and marched in review. He attended a reception given by Consul General James Y.S. Lee and a dinner hosted by Chinese leaders.

Vice President Yen returned to San Francisco May 19 for three big days in the Bay City. He visited several of the important Chinese associations and was guest of honor at a giant rally at the Sun Sing theater on Grant A venue in the heart of "Chinatown". On his way to the St. Francis Hotel from the airport, he laid a wreath at the statue of the Republic of China's Founding Father, Dr. Sun Yat-sen. He also met with former Senator William Knowland, publisher of the Oakland Tribune and long one of the Republic of China's firmest friends. He told a businessmen's luncheon that trade with the Republic of China and other free countries of Asia will be more profitable than any commercial relationships with the Chinese Communists. He compared the export record of the Chinese mainland and its 700 million people with that of Taiwan, which has a population of 13 million. The foreign trade of the Communists has fluctuated at a figure between 3 and 4 billion U.S. dollars a years. In 1966, Taiwan's trade reached a volume of US$ 1.17 billion or approximately 16 times as much as that of the Peiping regime on a per capita basis.

The Vice President reached Los Angeles May 21 on the last leg of his continental U.S. tour. He was greeted by a drum and bugle corps of Chinese-American young people and Chinese lion dancers. The key to the city, America's third largest after Chicago, was presented by Mayor Sam Yorty. Vice President Yen said that the situation in Red China is worsening, and expressed confidence of liberation by the forces of the Republic of China.

Honolulu was C.K. Yen's last stop on American soil. He saw Pearl Harbor and was briefed on the Vietnam war and the Pacific military situation by Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp, commander of U.S. Forces Pacific. At a dinner attended by more than 1,000 Hawaii leaders, including many Chinese Americans, he contrasted the successful land reform on Taiwan with the expropriation and the hated communes on the mainland. Among his listeners were Governor John A. Burns, Honolulu Mayor Neal S. Blaisdell, and Chinese Consul General Johnson C.T. Pao. He told the United Chinese Society that his trip will further cement the long friendship between China and the United States. At the East-West Center on the University of Hawaii campus he told students and faculty members that peace in Asia is unattainable as long as the Communists hold the Chinese mainland.

A Chinese Air Force plane was sent to Tokyo to fly the Vice President from the Japanese capital to Taipei. He arrived at the Sungshan airport at 9 p.m. Friday, May 26, to receive a rousing welcome from hundreds of government and civic officials and the diplomatic colony. In summary, he had traveled nearly 24,000 miles, made 48 speeches (20 in Chinese and 28 in English), held 20 press conferences, and attended 25 dinners and 13 receptions.

To its tired but triumphant Vice President, the free Chinese nation and people expressed their thanks with a hearty "Well done!" The Republic of China's international position had been materially advanced by Vice President C.K. Yen's three weeks in America.