In this Book
- Divided Counsel: The Anglo-American Response to Communist Victory in China
- Book
- 2014
- Published by: The University Press of Kentucky
In the long controversy over the failure of the United States to extend early recognition to the People's Republic of China, the story of American efforts to maintain an official presence in the Communist-controlled areas of China until 1950 has been largely neglected. Moreover, the often bitter partisan strife over Sino-American relations during this period has obscured important facts or so distorted them that making an independent judgment is difficult indeed. In this book, Edwin Martin seeks to set the confused record straight by providing a well-documented, detailed account of American responses to the policies and actions of the victorious Chinese Communists from their capture of Mukden in November 1948 to their intervention in the Korean War and rejection of U.N. cease-fire offers.
Uniquely, Martin provides also a parallel account, based on recently released Foreign Office documents, of Sino-British relations during this period, shedding useful light on the course of American policy. Significantly neither the British nor the American approaches were successful; both governments overestimated their power to influence events in China and the vulnerability of the Sino-Soviet relationship. Only at the Geneva meetings in 1954 did the Chinese Communists reverse policy positions they had steadfastly maintained during 1949-1950.
This corrective view of early American relations with the People's Republic of China will be welcomed by all concerned with Asian history and diplomacy.
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- p. x
- Note on Romanization
- p. xi
- Part I. Staying Put
- 2. Consulates Carry On
- pp. 6-14
- 3. The Soviet Union and the CCP
- pp. 14-18
- 4. British and American Policies
- pp. 18-23
- 5. Ambassador Stuart's Initiative
- pp. 23-26
- 6. The Stuart-Huang Discussions
- pp. 27-31
- 7. The Chou Demarche
- pp. 32-39
- 8. The Shanghai Blues
- pp. 39-43
- 9. An Invitation from Mao
- pp. 43-48
- 10. Fewer Stay Put
- pp. 48-54
- 11. Blockade
- pp. 54-63
- Part II. Recognition and Withdrawal
- 13. The People's Republic Proclaimed
- pp. 73-78
- 14. The Mukden Ordeal
- pp. 79-86
- 15. Britain Ponders Recognition
- pp. 86-93
- 17. Britain Recognizes the People's Republic
- pp. 100-105
- 18. American Consular Properties Seized
- pp. 106-114
- 19. Sino-Soviet Accord
- pp. 114-118
- 20. British Frustrations
- pp. 119-126
- 21. The Hazards of Departure
- pp. 126-135
- 22. An American Probe
- pp. 135-139
- 23. Mutual Sino-British Dissatisfaction
- pp. 139-145
- 24. Foreign Business in a Squeeze
- pp. 145-163
- Part III. Impact of the Korean War
- 25. The Neutralization of Formosa
- pp. 153-158
- 26. Reactions to Neutralization
- pp. 158-165
- 27. The Effect on Trade
- pp. 165-170
- 28. British Foothold Survives
- pp. 170-176
- 29. Focus on the United Nations
- pp. 176-183
- 30. Chinese Intervention in Korea
- pp. 183-191
- 31. The End of Flexibility
- pp. 191-202
- 32. The Imprisoned and the Detained
- pp. 202-215
- 33. An Aftermath of Bitterness
- pp. 215-221
- 34. A PRC Policy Reversal
- pp. 221-227
- Part IV. Summing Up
- pp. 231-237