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U.S. Relations with China During the Communist Era
1945 to 1952

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All [page numbers] reference China, Japan, and the Powers by Meribeth E. Cameron, Thomas H. D. Mahoney, and George E. McReynolds. The Ronald Press Company, New York. Copyright 1952

American aid to China was generally in the form of loans. Military lend-lease from September 1945 to October 1946 was set at $700 million, but “about half of this amount was expended in transporting Nationalist soldiers to eastern and northern China.” Donated goods were for civilian relief. “None of the $500,000,000 earmarked by the Export-Import Bank ever reached China.” [557]

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1948 gave $338 million in economic aid and $125 million in military aid to Chiang’s government. [558]

American politicians were divided between supporting the Kuomintang, and feeling the Kuomintang were so hated that if the U.S. supported them the U.S. would be hated by the Chinese people as well. [558-559]

In 1949, with the Communists advancing, it was thought by Acheson that U.S. support of Chiang would only prolong the suffering caused by the civil war. “American naval units and marines were withdrawn from Tsingtao and the United States military mission recalled.” Mao became increasingly pointed in his hostility to the U.S. [560-561]

Chiang Kai-shek transferred himself and his government to Formosa (now Taiwan) on December 8, 1949, though some of his troops remained on the Chinese mainland [564].

In 1948 there was widespread desertion from the Nationalist armies over to the Communists, taking their American equipment with them. “The Communists began to refer cheerfully to Supply Sergeant Chiang.” [595]