“The Inside Story of Chiang Kai-Shek’s Relations with American Presidents”

“The Inside Story of Chiang Kai-Shek’s Relations with American Presidents” (蒋介石与美国总统关系内幕 ) is a reminder that U.S.-China relations has not always meant U.S.-P.R.C. relations. For all of Chiang’s faults, he was a remarkable figure, whose pride, stubbornness, and nationalism made him a force with which to be reckoned and a not-always-welcome interlocutor. Chiang’s almost delusional belief in the Republic of China and its claim to sovereignty over Chinese territory was one of the key factors in keeping both sides of the Taiwan Strait tied together, creating the situation of today. Here is the first part in a series on Chiang’s interactions with his U.S. counterparts.