Fang Chih or Fang Zhi (; 23 November 1895 – 28 March 1989),
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
: Xikong (希孔), was a politician, provincial governor,
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
, author and a high-ranking Kuomintang official of the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
.
Family history and early life
Fang Chih was born into the prominent Tongcheng Fang clan in
Tongcheng,
Anhui
Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
,
Qing empire
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
in November 1895. His father was Fang Rong (, courtesy: 方镜卿), the middle son of
Fang Lanfen, a Qing dynasty author. He is a direct descendant of Fang Zhipu (方至朴) and Fang Zhenru (方震孺), an early Qing scholar, author, magistrate and Governor of
Guangxi Province
Guangxi (; ; alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ( ...
. He was also a descendant of
Fang Bao
Fang Bao (; 25 May 1668 – 29 September 1749), courtesy names Fengjiu (), Linggao (), and Wangxi (), was a Chinese nobleman, courtier, orator, philosopher, poet, scholar, author and government official in the service of the Qing dynasty. He is b ...
, a distinguished Qing author who founded the
Tongcheng school of literary prose.
His paternal uncles were
Fang Quan, a
late Qing dynasty era prefect and Fang Zao (, courtesy: 方澄卿). Fang's father died when he was 1 or 2 years old in 1896 and his mother sent him to be raised by his paternal uncle Fang Quan and paternal grandfather.
Education
Fang Chih graduated from
Anhui Province Tongcheng Secondary School
Tongcheng Secondary School () is a secondary school in Tongcheng, Anhui, China.
Notable alumni
* Chu Bo (zh: 儲波) - Former Governor of Hunan Province
* Ci Yungui (zh: 慈云桂) - Government official
* Fang Chih (zh: 方治) - Chinese dipl ...
(), known as a producer of many revolutionary Anhui leaders, which he attended alongside
Zhang Bojun
Zhang Bojun (; November 17, 1895 – May 17, 1969) was a Chinese politician and intellectual, and was removed from his ministerial position in the late 1950s after being declared "China's number one rightist."
Biography
Zhang graduated from the ...
,
Wu Zipei
Wu may refer to:
States and regions on modern China's territory
*Wu (state) (; och, *, italic=yes, links=no), a kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period 771–476 BCE
** Suzhou or Wu (), its eponymous capital
** Wu County (), a former county i ...
(), and
Yu Guanglang
Yu Guanglang () (b. 1897 - d. 1980) was a Chinese politician and scholar who served the Chinese Communist Party.
Early life and family origins
Yu was born in 1897 in Tongcheng , Anhui Province during the late Qing Empire. He grew up without h ...
among other notable classmates. Due to the hostility between the
Beiyang government
The Beiyang government (), officially the Republic of China (), sometimes spelled Peiyang Government, refers to the government of the Republic of China which sat in its capital Peking (Beijing) between 1912 and 1928. It was internationally r ...
regime and the KMT, many of the KMT families moved into exile in Japan and Chiang Kai-shek's
Northern Expedition
The Northern Expedition was a military campaign launched by the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Kuomintang (KMT), also known as the "Chinese Nationalist Party", against the Beiyang government and other regional warlords in 1926. The ...
defeated Beiyang by 1928. In 1919, with financial support from his uncle, Fang Peiqing (zh: 方培卿), Fang Chi went to
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
where he learned
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
and pursued his studies at the
Tokyo Higher Normal School and the
Tokyo Imperial University
, abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...
. On 14 July 1925, Fang married Masue Ueki (Fang I-chih, ), a Japanese woman,
fellow Kuomintang member and classmate at the Tokyo Imperial University studying dentistry. He would graduate with a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. from the College of Arts and Science at Tokyo Imperial University in 1927.
Whilst at school, Fang was involved in the leadership structure of the KMT student groups active in Japan in the Chinese student community. These groups were founded by the
Tongmenghui
The Tongmenghui of China (or T'ung-meng Hui, variously translated as Chinese United League, United League, Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, Chinese Alliance, United Allegiance Society, ) was a secret society and underground resistance movement ...
clique cemented in Japan by
Wang Jingwei
Wang Jingwei (4 May 1883 – 10 November 1944), born as Wang Zhaoming and widely known by his pen name Jingwei, was a Chinese politician. He was initially a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang, leading a government in Wuhan in oppositi ...
. The KMT student organization was set up in the
Kanda district where a Chinese communist group was already active at the Tokyo YMCA. Specifically, Fang was involved in countering
Communist propaganda
Communist propaganda is the artistic and social promotion of the ideology of communism, communist worldview, communist society, and interests of the communist movement. While it tends to carry a negative connotation in the Western world, the t ...
and student groups run by Japanese educated Chinese Communists such as Shi Qian (zh: 史迁),
Wang Buwen,
Tong Changrong (zh: 童长荣),
Yu Dahua (zh: 余大化) and
Fang Bin
Fang Bin () is a Chinese businessman, citizen journalist and whistleblower who used YouTube and WeChat to broadcast images of Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was arrested several times between February 1 and 9, 2020.
Personal life
Fan ...
(zh: 房斌) at the Hubei Railway School of Tokyo or the Tokyo Railway Specialized School, a school set up by
Zhang Zhidong
Zhang Zhidong () (4 September 18375 October 1909) was a Chinese politician who lived during the late Qing dynasty. Along with Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang, Zhang Zhidong was one of the four most famous officials of the late Qing ...
for Chinese international students whose graduates went on to serve in the railway industry at Hubei for 6 years.
Return from Japan
Fang Chih returned from
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in 1927. After his return, he joined the
Northern Expedition
The Northern Expedition was a military campaign launched by the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Kuomintang (KMT), also known as the "Chinese Nationalist Party", against the Beiyang government and other regional warlords in 1926. The ...
of
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
working in Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei Provinces where he gained the attention of General Chiang. He was made the Chairman of the
Fukien Provincial Party Headquarters of the KMT at the suggestion of a fellow Japanese educated classmate
Dai Chuanxian
Dai Jitao or Tai Chi-t'ao (; January 6, 1891 – February 21, 1949) was a Chinese journalist, an early Kuomintang member, and the first head of the Examination Yuan of the Republic of China. He is often referred to as Dai Chuanxian () or by hi ...
with Chiang's approval. This role was expanded to oversee the KMT Chairmanship of Anhwei Provincial Party Headquarters and that of Tsingtao. Whilst in Anhwei, Fang Chi led a political
purge
In history, religion and political science, a purge is a position removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another organization, their team leaders, or society as a whole. A group undertak ...
of the local party together with
Shao Hua
Shao Hua (30 October 1938 – 24 June 2008), formerly known as Zhang Shaohua (), was a Chinese photographer and a major general in the People's Liberation Army. She was the wife of Mao Anqing, the second son of Mao Zedong.
Biography
She was b ...
on the orders of
Chen Lifu
Chen Lifu or Ch'en Li-fu (; 21 August 1900 – 8 February 2001) was a Chinese politician and anti-communist of the Republic of China.
Chen was born in Wuxing, Zhejiang, China (modern Huzhou). In 1925, Chen formally joined Kuomintang (KMT) in Sa ...
, founder of the
CC Clique
The CC Clique (), or Central Club Clique (), was one of the political factions within the Kuomintang (The Chinese Nationalist Party), in the Republic of China (1912–49). It was led by the brothers Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu, friends of Chiang Kai- ...
or the Central Club Clique and head of the
Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics The Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) ), commonly known as Zhongtong (), was an intelligence unit under the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang. It was one of Chiang Kai-shek's two police and military intelligence agenc ...
of the Central Committee. The purge mechanism in Anhwei later swept up his former rival and classmate from Japan,
Wang Buwen who was arrested in April 1931 and executed the following month. His work during this period was focused primarily in Hupeh, Kiangsi, Qingdao, Nanking, Hunan, Anhwei and Fukien provinces in various military, political, party affairs and education related jobs.
His organizational skills and writing ability soon gained the attention of Chen Lifu, with whom he regularly corresponded. The connection with Chen Lifu aligned Fang with the CC Clique faction of the KMT and led to his increased involvement in the operations of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. By March 1929, he was promoted to Chief Secretary of the
Department of Propaganda of the Central Committee by
Shao Yuanchong
Shao Yuanchong (; 1890 – 14 December 1936) was a founding member of the Xinhai Revolution and a politician of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China. He served as the vice president of the Legislative Yuan and the mayor of Hangz ...
who was one of four people responsible for the lyrics of the
National Anthem of the Republic of China
The "Three Principles of the People" is the national anthem of the Republic of China as well as the party anthem of the Kuomintang. It was adopted in 1930 as China's national anthem and was used as such in mainland China until 1949, when the R ...
. He was posted to Nanking and Shanghai. In 1930, he was acting Minister of Information and by September 1931, he was promoted to the Chief Secretary of the Publicity Committee.
Information Ministry activities
In the early 1930s, rumors in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
began spreading of an assassination list compiled by a secretive KMT group that became collectively known as the
Blue Shirts Society
The Blue Shirts Society (藍衣社), also known as the Society of Practice of the Three Principles of the People (, commonly abbreviated as SPTPP), the Spirit Encouragement Society (勵志社, SES) and the China Reconstruction Society (中華 ...
. By 1933, these rumors began to come into the mainstream Shanghai press, particularly due to articles printed in the left leaning ''China Forum'' published by American radical
Harold Isaacs
Harold Robert Isaacs (1910–1986) was an American journalist and political scientist.
Career
Isaacs graduated from Columbia University in 1929, then briefly worked as a reporter for the ''New York Times.'' He went to China in 1930 with no st ...
. On 20 July 1933, due to the perceived negative public perception, Fang published an article in the ''
Shanghai Evening Post and Mercury
The ''Shanghai Evening Post & Mercury'' was an English language newspaper in Shanghai, China, published by the Post-Mercury Co. The newspaper represented the point of view of Shanghai's American business community.Tucker, p124 The newspaper office ...
'' denouncing the rumors and the existence of the Blue Shirts saying "No Blue Shirts; No (death) list, its all wrong."
In fact, the
Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics The Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) ), commonly known as Zhongtong (), was an intelligence unit under the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang. It was one of Chiang Kai-shek's two police and military intelligence agenc ...
, the
CC Clique
The CC Clique (), or Central Club Clique (), was one of the political factions within the Kuomintang (The Chinese Nationalist Party), in the Republic of China (1912–49). It was led by the brothers Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu, friends of Chiang Kai- ...
's counterintelligence organ was heavily involved in myriad kill or capture missions in Shanghai during this period. In 1929,
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 J ...
returned to Shanghai, after a brief period of exile following the
1927 Shanghai Massacre, to set up the Communist response to the KMT called the "Special Service Section of the Central Committee" or "Teke" (zh: 中央特科). This led to a bloodbath culminating in the summer of 1931 with a full blown purge and the second flight of
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 J ...
from the city.
In April 1931, KMT agents arrested
Gu Shunzhang
Gu Shunzhang (; 1903 – 1934), born Gu Fengming was an early leader, spymaster, and defector of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Sent to Soviet Russia to train in espionage, Gu was chosen by Zhou Enlai to lead the CCP's first intelligenc ...
in
Wuhan
Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
. Gu was one of Zhou's Aides of Security Affairs and his
interrogation
Interrogation (also called questioning) is interviewing as commonly employed by law enforcement officers, military personnel, intelligence agencies, organized crime syndicates, and terrorist organizations with the goal of eliciting useful informa ...
and subsequent
defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...
from the Communists yielded to the Nationalists the entire scope of Zhou's operations in Shanghai and beyond. On 21 June 1931, Gu's entire section of the Special Service was either captured or fled with 24 arrested including his superior and General Secretary
Xiang Zhongfa
Xiang Zhongfa (; 1879 – June 24, 1931) was one of the early senior leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Early life
Xiang was born in 1879 to a poor family living in Hanchuan, Hubei. He dropped out of elementary school to move with h ...
in Shanghai and
Cai Hesen
Cai Hesen (March 30, 1895 – August 4, 1931) was an early leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and a friend and comrade of Mao Zedong. Cai was born in Shanghai but grew up in Shuangfeng County in Hunan Province of China. He helped ...
in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
. Xiang was quickly executed after his interrogation and the resulting windfall of information led the KMT to conduct an even greater purge of the Communist intelligence networks. The scope of this purge was put at around 3,000 Communists by the French Intelligence Bureau of the
Shanghai French Concession
The Shanghai French Concession; ; Shanghainese pronunciation: ''Zånhae Fah Tsuka'', group=lower-alpha was a foreign concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1943, which progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Th ...
and lasted until at least 1934 as the Communists from Jianxi attempted to reestablish networks in Guangzhou and Shanghai under Chen Geng and
Deng Zhongxia
Deng Zhongxia (or Teng Chung-hsia; October 5, 1894 – September 21, 1933) was an early member of the Chinese Communist Party and an important Marxist intellectual and labor movement leader. Having led many strikes and uprisings against Chian ...
. Deng and Chen were both arrested though only Deng was executed as Chen had saved Chiang Kai-shek's life during a previous battle against the Warlord
Chen Jiongming
Chen Jiongming, (; 18 January 187822 September 1933), courtesy name Jingcun (竞存/競存), nickname Ayan (阿烟/阿煙), was a Hailufeng Hokkien revolutionary figure in the early period of the Republic of China.
Early life
Chen Jiongming wa ...
.
Gu Shunzhang was executed in
Suzhou
Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...
in December 1934 or June 1935.
By 1935, the counterintelligence situation had quieted down with most of the Communist networks significantly weakened. Fang was an elected to become a member of the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
Central Executive Committee,
attending the
Kuomintang 5th National Congress in November where he was confirmed as Deputy Minister of Propaganda. He was also transferred again, this time to Tsingtao Municipality and served as the KMT Chairman of the region.
CC Clique
As Deputy Minister of Propaganda in the period leading up to war with Japan between 1931 and 1937, Fang began to focus his activities on exploiting what he perceived to be a
growing division between a majority of the Japanese population being largely desirous of peace and a minority of pro-militant actors supporting an invasion of China policy embedded in high places within the Japanese government since the tenure of
Tanaka Giichi
Baron was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician, cabinet minister, and the Prime Minister of Japan from 1927 to 1929.
Early life and military career
Tanaka was born as the third son of a low-ranking ''samurai'' family in the se ...
as Prime Minister and headed contemporarily by Prime Minister
Hideki Tojo
Hideki Tojo (, ', December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician, general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and convicted war criminal who served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Imperial Rule Assistan ...
. In around 1935, Fang organized a daily radio broadcast in
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
operating from two pseudo official Japanese stations located in
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
and
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
respectively. The messages conveyed were on the mutual destruction that war would bring to both nations, the shared history and culture between Japan and the ROC.
The broadcasts ceased after a serious diplomatic incident between Japan and the ROC ensued following a party at the Japanese Consulate General in
Nanking
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
where Deputy Foreign Minister and Foreign Affairs Secretary and
Wang Jingwei
Wang Jingwei (4 May 1883 – 10 November 1944), born as Wang Zhaoming and widely known by his pen name Jingwei, was a Chinese politician. He was initially a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang, leading a government in Wuhan in oppositi ...
loyalist Tang Youren () let slip that the radio program was being run under Fang's supervision. Once the information reached
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, the Japanese government issued the ROC an ultimatum to either extradite both Fang and his wife to Japan or a Japanese
battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
would be dispatched from
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
to Nanking to raid the KMT Headquarters. In response, KMT Secretary General Yeh Chucang () requested that Fang terminate the program. The matter was deferred to Chiang Kai-shek who decided to stop the broadcasts but moved to protect Fang. He also asserted that any incursions into the Nanking area by Japanese naval forces would be met with force. On 1 November 1935, Wang Jingwei stepped down from his post when he was shot at by a sniper in an assassination attempt just before the 5th National Congress. Tang Youren was relieved of his duties as Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister in early December 1935 and transferred to become Vice Minister at the
Ministry of Transport and Communications. He was assassinated in Shanghai on 25 December 1935 before assuming his new role.
Fang attended the Second National Motion-Picture Conference which was convened by the Central Party Publicity Committee in Shanghai. Fang used the motion picture industry in Shanghai to promote KMT party ideals to the people. These propagated the ideas of the
New Life Movement The New Life Movement () was a government-led civic campaign in the 1930s Republic of China to promote cultural reform and Neo-Confucian social morality and to ultimately unite China under a centralised ideology following the emergence of ideologica ...
which was the brainchild of General
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
and his wife
Soong Mei-ling
Soong Mei-ling (also spelled Soong May-ling, ; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang, was a Chinese political figure who was First Lady of the Republic of China, the wife of Generalissimo and ...
and was supported by the
CC Clique
The CC Clique (), or Central Club Clique (), was one of the political factions within the Kuomintang (The Chinese Nationalist Party), in the Republic of China (1912–49). It was led by the brothers Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu, friends of Chiang Kai- ...
and the
Blue Shirts Society
The Blue Shirts Society (藍衣社), also known as the Society of Practice of the Three Principles of the People (, commonly abbreviated as SPTPP), the Spirit Encouragement Society (勵志社, SES) and the China Reconstruction Society (中華 ...
.
In October 1935, Fang collaborated with
Zhang Daofan
Chang Tao-fan (; 12 July 1897 - 12 June 1968) was a prominent figure and long-time central member of the Kuomintang. He was the fourth President of the Legislative Yuan, and former President of Broadcasting Corporation of China.
Life
Chang was ...
,
Lei Chen
Lei Chen (; 8 July 1897 – 7 March 1979) was a Chinese people, Chinese politician and dissident who was the early leading figure in the movement to bring fuller democracy to the government of the Republic of China.
Born in Zhejiang in 1897, Le ...
, and
Yu Shangyuan to build the
Nanjing National Theatre Academy where Yu was installed as president. The school was run as an organ of the KMT Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Education. In 1938, a second school was opened in
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
,
Jiang'an County
Jiang'an () is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Yibin city.
Jiang'an has one Yangtze River crossing
The Yangtze River power line crossings are overhead power lines that cross the Yangtze River in China. The ...
and named the
National Theatre Academy. It was the first modern drama school for higher education ever built in China.
In November 1935 at a meeting of the KMT Big Five, Fang Chih was elected to the Central Committee of the Kuomintang cementing his position as a prominent fixture of the administration. In July 1936, there was a shakeup of the propaganda department after
Liu Luyin was arrested on spy charges by
Dai Li
Lieutenant General Dai Li (Tai Li; ; May 28, 1897 – March 17, 1946) was a Chinese spymaster. His courtesy name was Yunong (雨農). Born Dai Chunfeng (Tai Chun-feng; 戴春風) in Bao'an, Jiangshan, Zhejiang province, he studied at the Whamp ...
who was carrying out a purge of the party and Fang became the vice minister of the Board of Publicity.
On 13 August 1937, Fang was transferred to the Ministry of Education, a department run by Minister and KMT Party Chairman
Wang Shijie
Wang Shih-chieh also known as Wang Shijie (; 10 March 1891 – 21 April 1981) was a Chinese politician and scholar of the Kuomintang in service to the Republic of China.徐主編(2007)、79頁。劉国銘主編(2005)、143頁。 He s ...
. The following year,
Chen Lifu
Chen Lifu or Ch'en Li-fu (; 21 August 1900 – 8 February 2001) was a Chinese politician and anti-communist of the Republic of China.
Chen was born in Wuxing, Zhejiang, China (modern Huzhou). In 1925, Chen formally joined Kuomintang (KMT) in Sa ...
was appointed as Minister of Education.
Ministry of Education
In October 1938, with the CC Clique's hold on the
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
in place, Fang Chih was appointed to the position of Education Commissioner of his native Anhwei Province (Anhui Province) and of Hupeh Province (Hubei Province).
On 19 May 1938, a squadron of two
Chinese Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an Air force, aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular army, regular ...
Martin B-10
The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to be regularly used by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934.Jackson 2003, p. 246. It was also the first mass-produced bomber whose performance was superior to ...
bombers took off from
Ningbo
Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...
. The squadron flew over
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
,
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
,
Kurume
is a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, the city has an estimated population of 303,579 and a population density of 1,320 persons per km². The total area is 229.96 km².
On February 5, 2005, the town of Kitano (from ...
,
Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
,
Saga
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...
, and
Sasebo
is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...
distributing over 1 million
leaflets containing various propaganda and disinformation, completing the mission with no human losses.
In the late 1800s, Fang's uncle
Fang Quan, who was a
late-Qing era prefect and
Tongcheng School literary figure, returned to
Tongcheng to oversee the establishment of the Huabiao Primary School (zh: 华表小学), serving for a time as its principal. Fang oversaw the completion of Anhui Number 4 Provincial Primary School (zh: 安徽省省立第四临时小学会宫分校) in 1939.
Chungking
In early 1941, Fang Chih was named the Party Chief and Chairman of the KMT in Chungking. He was again elected to the Central Executive Committee at the
6th National Congress of Kuomintang
The 6th National Congress of the Kuomintang () was the sixth national congress of the Kuomintang, held on 5 May 1945 at Chungking, Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China. This congress saw the first participation of Taiwan Province in the ...
in May 1945. In January 1946, Fang Chih was involved in an effort to disrupt Communist rally activities in Chungking celebrating the legalization of the CCP the previous year. The rallies which were held throughout January and early February, were hosted by high level Communist representatives like
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 J ...
,
Guo Moruo
Guo Moruo (; November 16, 1892 – June 12, 1978), courtesy name Dingtang (), was a Chinese author, poet, historian, archaeologist, and government official.
Biography
Family history
Guo Moruo, originally named Guo Kaizhen, was born on November ...
,
Shen Junru
Shen Junru (; January 2, 1875 – June 11, 1963) was a Chinese lawyer, political figure, and the first president of the Supreme People's Court of China of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China.
Biography
Shen was ...
,
Luo Longji
Luo Longji (; July 30, 1898 – December 7, 1965) was a Chinese politician and famous intellectual. Luo has been called the "China's number two rightist". He and Hu Shih collaborated to research and promote human rights in China, which made them o ...
,
Ma Yinchu
Ma Yinchu (; 1882–1982) was a prominent Chinese economist. He was the father of China's family planning.
Biography
Early life
Ma Yinchu was born in Sheng County, Shaoxing, Zhejiang. He was the fifth child of the owner of a small distillery t ...
,
Li Dequan
Li Dequan (Li Teh-Chuan ; 1896–1972) was the first Minister of Health of the People's Republic of China from 1949 to 1965.
Born in Tong County, Beijing, she participated in democracy campaign in early years. Dequan graduated from the Method ...
who acted as general chairman and
Li Gongpu
Li, li, or LI may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects
* Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political tec ...
who acted as the organizational commander.
Chen Lifu
Chen Lifu or Ch'en Li-fu (; 21 August 1900 – 8 February 2001) was a Chinese politician and anti-communist of the Republic of China.
Chen was born in Wuxing, Zhejiang, China (modern Huzhou). In 1925, Chen formally joined Kuomintang (KMT) in Sa ...
tasked Fang,
Ye Xiufeng and Wang Sicheng (zh: 王思诚) with organizing the violent suppression of the rallies. Fang's agents spied heavily on the rallies in efforts to document the Communist opposition forces who were operating in the open following the
Double Tenth Agreement
The Double Tenth Agreement, formally known as the Summary of Conversations Between the Government and Representatives of the Communist Party of China, was an agreement between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that was ...
. Fang also collaborated with
Chen Lifu
Chen Lifu or Ch'en Li-fu (; 21 August 1900 – 8 February 2001) was a Chinese politician and anti-communist of the Republic of China.
Chen was born in Wuxing, Zhejiang, China (modern Huzhou). In 1925, Chen formally joined Kuomintang (KMT) in Sa ...
,
Ye Xiufeng and
Wang Sicheng to move against the Communists by mobilizing large scale anti-Soviet marches around Chungking. From 16–19 January, Guo Moruo, Zhang Dongsun and other Communists were attacked. On 26 January, police raided the home of
Huang Yanpei
Huang Yanpei (; 1 October 1878 – 21 December 1965) was a Chinese educator, writer, and politician. He was a founding pioneer of the China Democratic League.
Life
Huang was born in Neishidi, Chuansha, Jiangsu (now part of Pudong, Shanghai) duri ...
, a
Democratic League agitator and CCP ally.
This series of confrontations boiled over on 10 February with the
Jiaochangkou Incident which has been recorded as one of the major triggers leading to escalation in the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
. The incident has been covered in many historical accounts, including most recently, the 2009 propaganda film ''
The Founding of a Republic
''The Founding of a Republic'' is a Chinese historical drama produced in 2009 to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China and was made to portray the final years of the Chinese Communist Revolution that followed the end of the ...
''. The Communists were meeting to celebrate the People's Consultative Conference and the concentration of radical Communist elements attracted the KMT secret police who violently dispersed the crowd though no actual fatalities were recorded though around 60 were wounded, some seriously. Both the KMT and the Communists used the incident to push for military escalation.
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
pushed for the CCP to withdraw entirely from the unity government and to pursue a military campaign following the incident, which he argued could be taken to mean that Chiang Kai-shek was not committed to peace.
The KMT also used the incident to justify further crack downs on an increasingly active and anti-KMT CCP. Li Gongpu was assassinated by KMT agents on 11 July 1946 in
Kunming
Kunming (; ), also known as Yunnan-Fu, is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province, China. It is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province as well as the seat of the provincial government. The headquar ...
. Li's funeral was also targeted on 15 July resulting in the assassination of
Wen Yiduo
Wen Yiduo (; 24 November 189915 July 1946) was a Chinese poet and scholar known for his nationalistic poetry. Wen was assassinated by the Kuomintang in 1946.
Life
Wen Yiduo was born Wén Jiāhuá () on 24 November 1899 in what is now Xishui ...
.
Shanghai
In October 1946, Fang Chih was made the party boss and chairman of the Shanghai KMT Municipal Government, replacing
Wu Shao-hsu, one of his longtime rivals within the
CC Clique
The CC Clique (), or Central Club Clique (), was one of the political factions within the Kuomintang (The Chinese Nationalist Party), in the Republic of China (1912–49). It was led by the brothers Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu, friends of Chiang Kai- ...
. He was also made General Secretary of the Beijing-Hangzhou Government Garrison Headquarters Standing Committee. With the cessation of all the foreign concession areas by 1946, the city, was entirely under Nationalist control. During his tenure, Fang Chih collaborated with
Du Yuesheng
Du Yuesheng (22 August 188816 August 1951), also known by Dou Yu-Seng or Tu Yueh-sheng or Du Yueh-sheng, nicknamed "Big-Eared Du",Lintner, Bertil. ''Burma in Revolt: Opium and Insurgency Since 1948''. Silkworm Books. 1999. p.309 was a Chinese m ...
of the
Green Gang
The Green Gang () was a Chinese secret society and criminal organization, which was prominent in criminal, social and political activity in Shanghai during the early to mid 20th century.
History
Origins
As a secret society, the origins and hist ...
to consolidate various agitation groups and to root out Communist activity.
By May 1946, Fang was dealing with increasingly serious political tension between Communist and Government student groups. These tensions boiled over in June when the opposing groups staged demonstrations with the pro-government groups rallying on 21 June and the Communists on 23 June.
Between 1946 and 1949 during Fang's tenure in office, the population of Shanghai swelled from around 3.7 million in 1946 to 7.73 million in 1949 with Shanghai accounting for around 50 percent of all the factories in China, more than half of all Chinese shipping trade and roughly 33 percent of China's total GDP.
In 1947, Fang was elected to the political council of the Kuomintang. In September 1947, the Nationalist government attempted a ban on commercial
dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and citi ...
s as an
austerity
Austerity is a set of political-economic policies that aim to reduce government budget deficits through spending cuts, tax increases, or a combination of both. There are three primary types of austerity measures: higher taxes to fund spend ...
measure to be implemented due to the ongoing civil war. In response to the unpopular decision, which was implemented slowly and reluctantly by the Shanghai government, 200,000
taxi dancer
A taxi dancer is a paid dance partner in a partner dance. Taxi dancers are hired to dance with their customers on a dance-by-dance basis. When taxi dancing first appeared in taxi-dance halls during the early 20th century in the United States, mal ...
s took to the streets and riots ensued. Fang's propaganda machine attempted to ease the situation with statements saying that dancing girls should be redirecting their talents to reconstructing the country and eliminating the Communist bandits. A ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine article quoted Fang attempts in this regards: "I think no patriotic man or woman wants to embrace each other under soft lights ... Dancing girls could be trained to acquire useful talents in reconstructing the country and wiping out bandits".
Fang also made attempts to turn the selected dance halls that were actually closed into cafeterias employing the former taxi dancers. In the end, the halfhearted ban served to drastically increase prostitution in the city, an issue that remained even after the government completely abandoned any further attempts to shutter the dance halls. Towards 1949, as a successful Nationalist defense of Shanghai became less likely, the problem became a useful way to lash out at the city's future management. By the time the Communists took over the city in 1949, there were around 40,000 licensed and unlicensed prostitutes operating in the city. The prostitution problem was a large obstacle for the Communists and remained an issue for them until around 1953 when prostitutes were sent en masse to labor camps.
In August 1948, Fang delivered a speech to a large scale anti-Communist rally in Shanghai together with mayor
K.C. Wu and Chairman of the City Council,
Pan Kung-chan.
In early 1949, the tide of the war was beginning to turn decidedly in favor of the Communists following the developments in the
Huaihai and
Pingjin Campaigns. The Nationalist army had lost around 1.5 million soldiers between 1948 and 1949. On 6 January 1949, Fang made a proposal to send a delegation of Shanghai's citizens to speak with Communist officials, following a convening of Kuomintang policy makers which resulted in an agreement to attempt to sue for peace.
The move was seen as a response to the disobeying of Chiang Kai-shek's orders to march to the front and give battle by three Nationalist generals;
Pai Chung-hsi, commander of the
Hankow
Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow (), was one of the three towns (the other two were Wuchang and Hanyang) merged to become modern-day Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers whe ...
Garrison holding the
Yangtze River
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...
West of Nanking,
Chang Chen
Chang Chen (born 14 October 1976) is a Taiwanese actor. He was born in Taipei, Taiwan. His father Chang Kuo-chu and his brother Hans Chang are also actors.
Career
Chang started his film career at a very young age. He was then selected by a Ta ...
, provincial commander of
Hunan's Provincial Army whose troops were the only military force between the capital and the Communists to the north, and
Chang Chien
Zhang Qian (; died c. 114) was a Chinese official and diplomat who served as an imperial envoy to the world outside of China in the late 2nd century BC during the Han dynasty. He was one of the first official diplomats to bring back valuable inf ...
, commander of Changsha south of Hankow. The three commanders had attempted to force Chiang's resignation by sending telegrams asking Chiang to take a "vacation" instead of giving battle to the Communists.
Fang's action, which was made to stall for time, did little to hinder the opening of a new front in Anhwei by the Communists on 5 January, but it presented the quite accurate image of an increasingly desperate situation faced by the Nationalists. The situation was used as the background for Washington lobbyist
William C. Bullitt
William Christian Bullitt Jr. (January 25, 1891 – February 15, 1967) was an American diplomat, journalist, and novelist. He is known for his special mission to negotiate with Lenin on behalf of the Paris Peace Conference, often recalled as a mi ...
who petitioned the
United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs
The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, also known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a standing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives with jurisdiction over bills and investigations concerning the foreign affairs o ...
for a military intervention.
Around this time, Chiang realized that the relocation or retreat of the entire army to Taiwan to regroup for a counterattack was not the ideal strategic move. Noting the sizeable amount of former Japanese soldiers demobilized from the Japanese surrender still present in China under Nationalist control, Chiang also tasked Fang and a group of Kuomintang members with Japanese backgrounds, including Cao Shicheng, to look into the creation of a joint Sino-Japanese military force to hold the fledgling Eastern Coast of China against the Communists. A letter was delivered by Cao to former commander of the Japanese Imperial Army in China and the Japanese Chief of the KMT's Central Liaison Office to Deal With Remaining Soldiers since December 1945,
Yasuji Okamura
was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army, and commander-in-chief of the China Expeditionary Army from November 1944 to the end of World War II. He was tried but found not guilty of any war crimes by the Shanghai War Crimes Tribunal after the ...
, informing him of the dire situation facing the Nationalist army and requesting that he order deactivated elements of the Japanese Imperial Army into Chiang's service as part of a Sino-Japanese army group. Okamura was actually convicted of war crimes in November 1948 at the
Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal
The Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal was established in 1946 by the government of Chiang Kai-shek to judge Imperial Japanese Army officers accused of crimes committed during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was one of ten tribunals established by the ...
and then immediately protected by Chiang who took the general as an advisor. The Republic of China found Okamura not guilty in 1949 and returned him to Japan. In any event, these actions were too late to make any difference in the campaign.
By April 1949, the
Nationalist army
The National Revolutionary Army (NRA; ), sometimes shortened to Revolutionary Army () before 1928, and as National Army () after 1928, was the military arm of the Kuomintang (KMT, or the Chinese Nationalist Party) from 1925 until 1947 in China ...
was in full retreat and the Communist forces were advancing on Shanghai. Earlier in the year, Fang had been made Secretary General of the Beijing-Shanghai Garrison General Headquarters and was tasked outwardly with coordinating the retreat and relocation of personnel to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The Nationalist government did not allow most of the local population of the city to flee until the last possible moment for propaganda and psychological reasons resulting in a chaotic and disorganized retreat and a failure to effectively evacuate the city's wealth resulting not only in a devastating loss of people, property and financial assets. The excessive troop commitment to Shanghai's defense, which was a strategically unimportant city and only of political value, would go on to seriously hinder the fledgling Nationalist war effort. The KMT blunder at Shanghai, resulted in the further bleeding thin of its forces, and facilitated an easier campaign for the Communist victories at
Ningbo
Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...
,
Wenzhou
Wenzhou (pronounced ; Wenzhounese: Yuziou y33–11 tɕiɤu33–32 ), historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province in the People's Republic of China. Wenzhou is located at the extreme south east o ...
and
Canton Province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
.
At 11:00 am on 24 May 1949, Fang gathered the foreign press at the
Broadway Mansions
Broadway Mansions (, Shanghainese: ''Pahlowe Dusa'') is a nineteen-floor Art Deco five-star hotel in Shanghai, China.Dmitri Kessel, ''On Assignment: Dmitri Kessel, Life photographer'' (Abrams, 1985):149. and was for over five decades one of the ...
where he announced the Nationalist plans to hold the city:
On 25 May 1949, Fang Chi was forced to flee the city with the retreating Nationalist army together with
Lei Chen
Lei Chen (; 8 July 1897 – 7 March 1979) was a Chinese people, Chinese politician and dissident who was the early leading figure in the movement to bring fuller democracy to the government of the Republic of China.
Born in Zhejiang in 1897, Le ...
,
Ku Chen-kang,
Chou Tse-jou and probably
Tang Enbo
Tang Enbo (, birth name was ,(1898–1954) was a Kuomintang, Nationalist general in the Republic of China.
Life
Early life and war with Japan
Born in 1898 in Wuyi, Zhejiang, Tang Enbo was a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, an ...
, the last officials out of the city.
Shanghai fell to the CCP two days later on 27 May with approximately three fourths of the KMT defense forces killed or captured. Ironically, Fang's media statements threatening house to house fighting similar to the Battle of Stalingrad turned out to be disinformation as almost none of the fighting in the Battle of Shanghai took place inside the city. Some 153,000 Nationalist casualties were recorded which included the complete loss of the
KMT 37th Army, the
KMT 51st Army and 5 Traffic Police Divisions. Most of the survivors retreated to Taiwan via
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
. In May, Fang was installed as Secretary-General, KMT Chairman and Acting Governor of
Fukien Province
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
at
Foochow
Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute t ...
.
Fukien Province and retreat to Taiwan
![CCP took over Foochow](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/CCP_took_over_Foochow.jpg)
By Mid-August 1949, the strategic situation for the Nationalists in Fukien was increasingly focused on having the retreat be as organized as possible. Focus had shifted entirely from engaging the Communists militarily to rearguard actions and the defense of
Kinmen
Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China (Taiwan), off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It lies roughly east of the city of Xiamen in Fujian, from which it is separate ...
and
Xiamen
Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, ...
islands. On 15 August, this strategy was made public by the Kuomintang's Central Planning board who tasked Fang,
Tang Enbo
Tang Enbo (, birth name was ,(1898–1954) was a Kuomintang, Nationalist general in the Republic of China.
Life
Early life and war with Japan
Born in 1898 in Wuyi, Zhejiang, Tang Enbo was a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, an ...
, and
Lei Chen
Lei Chen (; 8 July 1897 – 7 March 1979) was a Chinese people, Chinese politician and dissident who was the early leading figure in the movement to bring fuller democracy to the government of the Republic of China.
Born in Zhejiang in 1897, Le ...
in the organization of the defense of the two Fukien islands.
Mainland Fukien fell to the Communists in around November 1949 but many of its outlying islands including Quemoy (
Kinmen
Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China (Taiwan), off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It lies roughly east of the city of Xiamen in Fujian, from which it is separate ...
) were successfully defended and the Republic of China retains control of them to this day. The defense of Kinmen specifically was extremely successful. The plan, allegedly formulated with the assistance of former Imperial Japanese Army planners, consisted of allowing PLA forces to land on the island en masse, to cut off their retreat and supplies by gaining control of the sea and then to wipe out the remaining ground forces.
Pacification of the Mainland province by the Communist victors was not completed until February 1951. As a result of the fall of Mainland Fukien, the CCP set up
Fujian Province
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...
with its capital at
Fuzhou
Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute t ...
. The KMT, who retreated mainly to
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, retained the province as
Fukien Province
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
and moved its capital from
Foochow
Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute t ...
to
Jingchen. The
Battle of Guningtou
The Battle of Kuningtou or Battle of Guningtou (), also known as the Battle of Kinmen (), was a battle fought over Kinmen in the Taiwan Strait during the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The failure of the Communists to take the island left it in t ...
proved to be the decisive battle that halted the Communist advance on many of the coastal islands still under KMT control, however many of these islands were later abandoned by the KMT or taken by force by the Communists during the
First Taiwan Strait Crisis
The First Taiwan Strait Crisis (also the Formosa Crisis, the 1954–1955 Taiwan Strait Crisis, the Offshore Islands Crisis, the Quemoy-Matsu Crisis, and the 1955 Taiwan Strait Crisis) was a brief armed conflict between the Communist People's ...
.
Later in 1949, Fang Chih was made Secretary-General of the newly founded
Free China Relief Association, an organization that outwardly aimed to assist Chinese diaspora refugees displaced by the war and those still on the Mainland through relief aid. The organization was chaired by Ku Cheng-kang and its directors included
Soong Mei-ling
Soong Mei-ling (also spelled Soong May-ling, ; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang, was a Chinese political figure who was First Lady of the Republic of China, the wife of Generalissimo and ...
,
Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng (; ; January 4, 1898 – March 5, 1965) was a Chinese political and military leader, and one of the main commanders of the National Revolutionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War.
After moving ...
and
Hu Shih
Hu Shih (; 17 December 1891 – 24 February 1962), also known as Hu Suh in early references, was a Chinese diplomat, essayist, literary scholar, philosopher, and politician. Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese libera ...
amongst others. In around 1954, the organization came under the umbrella of the
Asian People's Anti-Communist League (APACL), a group founded jointly by
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
of the ROC,
Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960.
Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...
of the
ROK, and
Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953.
A lawyer by profession, Quirino enter ...
of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
Ku Cheng-kang, Fang's partner at the FCRA would go on to head the APACL in Taipei and the two would continue this collaboration for the rest of their lives.
In 1954, Fang Chih was involved in relief and publicity activities during the islands campaign in the final stages of the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
.
Korean War
![Chinese POWs captured by USMC in Korea HD-SN-99-03152](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Chinese_POWs_captured_by_USMC_in_Korea_HD-SN-99-03152.JPG)
During the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, Fang made several trips to the
Korean peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
where the
KMT military was heavily involved in ground operations. Fang was in charge of an operation which saw the repatriation of Chinese "Volunteer"
P.O.W.
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
s to
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
as opposed to returning them to
Mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
. After the
ceasefire
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
which ended main phase of the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, U.S. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, who negotiated the ceasefire himself, placed a provision in the agreement that
Chinese prisoners of war
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
would be allowed to choose where they would be repatriated. Contemporary Communist news sources attribute this decision to Fang Chih's "deception". Of around 21,000 PVA prisoners, about 14,300 or two thirds of these prisoners held by the allies were sent to Taiwan after the war due to the voluntary repatriation program. The day of the prisoners return to Taiwan is now recognized as
World Freedom Day
The World League for Freedom and Democracy (WLFD) is an international non-governmental organization of anti-communist politicians and groups. It was founded in 1952 as the World Anti-Communist League (WACL) under the initiative of Chiang Kai-sh ...
in Taiwan and South Korea. The experiences of Chinese POWs during the Korean War have been fictionalized in
Jin Xuefei's 2004 book ''
War Trash
''War Trash'' is a novel by the Chinese author Ha Jin, who has long lived in the United States and who writes in English. It takes the form of a memoir written by the fictional character Yu Yuan, a man who eventually becomes a soldier in the C ...
''.
Fang's role in the solicitation of mainland defectors or
Anti-Communist Martyrs
Anti-Communist Hero () was the title given by the Republic of China government in Taiwan to defectors from People's Republic of China during the Korean War and the Cold War. The title was first given on 23 January 1954 to 14,000 prisoners of w ...
as they were known in Taiwan, expanded greatly during the Korean War and he later ran a program that rewarded mainland Chinese pilots with gold and other incentives if they
defected to Taiwan with their warplanes.
Golden Triangle
![C-46 of Civil Air Transport (CIA) in Indochina](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/C-46_of_Civil_Air_Transport_%28CIA%29_in_Indochina.jpg)
Following the defeat of the KMT in the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, most of the
Nationalist forces had retreated to
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, however a significant portion of the Western army, which became known collectively as the
Kuomintang 93rd Division, retreated from
Yunnan Province
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...
into
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
and
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. Forces of the 15,000 strong
KMT 13th Army under
Li Mi established himself in
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
, nearly creating a
Shan State
Shan State ( my, ရှမ်းပြည်နယ်, ; shn, မိူင်းတႆး, italics=no) also known by the Endonym and exonym, endonyms Shanland, Muang Tai, and Tailong, is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. ...
and attempted to invade
Yunnan Province
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...
no less than seven times. The 3,000 strong
KMT 3rd Army under General
Ly Wen-huan established themselves in
Tang Ngop,
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai ( th, เชียงใหม่, ; nod, , ) is the largest Province (''changwat'') of Thailand. It lies in upper northern Thailand and has a population of 1.78 million people. It is bordered by Chiang Rai to the northeast, Lam ...
and the 4,000 strong
KMT 5th Army under General
Tuan Shi-wen established themselves in
Mae Salong,
Chiang Rai Province. From around 1949, Fang became heavily involved in anti-communist activities in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
and throughout
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
.
In late July and early August 1959, Fang was involved in FCRA operations in Laos, officially to help a group of around 8,000 displaced Chinese who had entered Laos as a result of political persecution in the mainland. On 4 August 1959, Fang reported that the group was drastically in need of supplies and had come from
Yunnan Province
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...
. On 27 August 1959, Fang Chi attended the foundation of the
Sino-Laotian Friendship Society of which he was a
trustee
Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...
together with
Ku Cheng-kang. The organization collaborated with the FCRA in an official capacity to bring relief aid to Chinese refugees in the
Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle may refer to:
Places
Asia
* Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia), named for its opium production
* Golden Triangle (Yangtze), China, named for its rapid economic development
* Golden Triangle (India), comprising the popular tourist ...
. The society also participated to an uncertain extent in operations with the
Sananikone family's Veha Akhat and with the
CAT
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
though FCRA cooperation with the latter likely continued throughout the period.
In January 1961, the
Burmese military
Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include th ...
, in a secret alliance with the
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
mounted a combined military operation against a major KMT base near the Mekong River. 5,000 Burmese troops and three divisions of the PLA attacked the fortified KMT base which was defended by an army of around 10,000 men. The operation was successful and the Burmese managed to defeat the KMT on 26 January though they retreated in good order. On 16
February 1961, a
PB4Y-2 Privateer
The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer is an American World War II and Korean War era patrol bomber of the United States Navy derived from the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The Navy had been using B-24s with only minor modifications as the PB4Y-1 Lib ...
or a
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
operating with the FCRA and carrying a payload of weaponry for the irregular troops who were retreating across the
Mekong river
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annuall ...
into Laos and Thailand, was shot down by the Burmese Air Force resulting in a complaint being lodged at the United Nations. The aerial incident also involved the shooting down of a Burmese plane and the damaging of another suggesting that the mission could have been escorted by fighters. Fang accepted responsibility for the mission on behalf of the FCRA stating the private association's actions were completely separate from those of the Republic of China.
Refugees and disaster relief
![FangChihPreparesDisasterRelief](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/FangChihPreparesDisasterRelief.jpg)
The area of operations of the
Free China Relief Association was not restricted solely to the
Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle may refer to:
Places
Asia
* Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia), named for its opium production
* Golden Triangle (Yangtze), China, named for its rapid economic development
* Golden Triangle (India), comprising the popular tourist ...
. The organization was deeply embedded in pursuing the various overseas interests of the ROC throughout Asia and in the west.
Fang was involved in
refugee
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. relief actions via the FCRA and the Chinese National Committee for World Refugee Year of which he was Secretary-General. Fang represented the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
together with
Li Ten-ping, the Assistant Secretary-General of the International Labor Bureau, before the
UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
in
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. From 12 to 26 January 1960, the council met in
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
where the executive committee, chaired by Dr.
Elfan Rees discussed the year's agenda. At the conference, Fang outlined his objectives to deliver aid to refugees from
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
together with John McCarthy, Director of the Department of Immigration at the
National Catholic Welfare Council The National Catholic Welfare Council (NCWC) was the annual meeting of the American Catholic hierarchy and its standing secretariat; it was established in 1919 as the successor to the emergency organization, the National Catholic War Council.
It co ...
. Fang also outlined goals of assisting Chinese refugees in Hong Kong. In May 1960, his committee was responsible for raising around US$10 million for Chinese refugees in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
where the FCRA had established an office since 1950
working closely with the Rennie's Mill Camp Refugees Relief Committee. Some of the money was funneled to KMT organizations in the area of
Tiu Keng Leng
Tiu Keng Leng (), formerly Rennie's Mill, is an area of Hong Kong in the Sai Kung District adjacent to Tseung Kwan O (Junk Bay).
The area used to be a refugee village housing former Kuomintang officials and followers who escaped to Hong Kong f ...
or Rennie's Mill, known for some time as Little Taiwan, which was a major support base for the Taiwanese cause until 1996 when the
Hong Kong Government
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...
cleared the land for redevelopment with an eye on the upcoming
transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong
Transfer may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Transfer'' (2010 film), a German science-fiction movie directed by Damir Lukacevic and starring Zana Marjanović
* ''Transfer'' (1966 film), a short film
* ''Transfer'' (journal), in management studies
...
.
Attempts to evacuate ex soldiers living in the Rennie's Mill area of Hong Kong by the FCRA largely slowed or stopped in around 1980 when the duties of care and refugee relief in British Hong Kong were transferred from the Free China Relief Association to the
Red Cross Society of China
The Red Cross Society of China () is the national Red Cross Society in the People's Republic of China.
Origins and history before 1949
The Red Cross Society of China was founded as the Shanghai International Red Cross Committee on March 10, 19 ...
, after which no figures on evacuations to Taiwan were published.
Following the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, the ROC mobilized the FCRA to organize disaster relief operations in the areas of Beijing, Tianjin and Tangshan. The FCRA collaborated with the Bank of Taiwan to provide a large quantity of donated humanitarian aid and food items from the people of Taiwan and organized bulk shipments via the International Red Cross to be distributed in the mainland. Beijing refused the aid shipments and the FCRA decided to launch the aid parcels directly to the mainland using unmanned balloons in collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense (Taiwan), Ministry of National Defense. These actions apparently triggered the scrambling of Mikoyan#List of MiG aircraft, MiG interceptors tasked with shooting down the balloons. ROC Ambassador to the U.S. James Shen confirmed ROC actions to provide mainland disaster relief:
Taiwan's furious response to the mainland's refusal to accept the aid was a powerful piece of political drama at the time, serving its interests at home and abroad.
Ryukyu
![Fang Chih Ike](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Fang_Chih_Ike.png)
In 1958, Fang Chih founded and became the president of the Sino-Ryukyuan Cultural and Economic Association, an organization dedicated to maintaining cultural and economic dialogue between the Taiwanese people, people of Taiwan and Ryukyuan people, Ryukyu-Okinawa.
Following the Surrender of Japan, Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, the island of Okinawa was United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands, administered directly by the U.S. occupation forces from 1950 until May 1972 when the island was turned over to the Japanese government. The Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People's Republic of China, severance of official diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of China in September 1972 forced the association to effectively become the de facto embassy of the Republic of China in Okinawa. Fang's position at the Association demonstrated the importance the Republic of China placed on Okinawa / Ryukyu which hosted the largest United States Forces Japan, U.S. military presence in the region. The military buildup on the island during the Cold War saw a dramatic increase in the strategic importance of the islands. Under the 1952 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, the United States Forces Japan, USFJ have maintained this large military presence.
A contemporary US Civil Administration report from 1965 described Fang as follows:
The office continues in its function under the same name despite politically motivated attempts in 2006 to rename the office under the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office system.
In October 1985, Fang Chih convened the first Taipei-Naha Symposium which occurs annually alternating between Tokyo and Naha. The meetings were inaugurated after Professor Katsutaro Shimajiri (jp: 島尻勝太郎) of Okinawa University visited Taiwan in October 1983 for the purpose of a cultural exchange.
Taiwan
Following the retreat to Taiwan, Fang was consistently involved in anti-Mainland propaganda until the time of his death.
From March 29 to April 9, 1969, Fang attended the 10th National Congress of the Chinese Kuomintang, Kuomintang's 10th National Congress in Taipei.
In 1984, Fang wrote a column for Hong Kong magazine ''Cheng Ming'' where he attacked Mainland Chinese media censorship.
In 1988, Fang was appointed the vice-president of the Free China Relief Association. Fang served together with
Ku Cheng-kang who acted as president and C.C. Chen who served as its Secretary General.
Marriage and descendants
Fang Chih married Masue Ueki (Fang I-chih, ), a Japanese woman,
fellow Kuomintang member and classmate at the
Tokyo Imperial University
, abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...
studying dentistry on 14 July 1925. The couple, both of whom grew up in only child households, had 11 children, three boys and eight girls.
By Masue Ueki:
* Fang Guangqi (zh: 方光琪)
* Fang Guanglong (zh: 方光龍)
* Fang Guanghu (zh: 方光虎)
* Fang Guangying (zh: 方光瑛)
* Fang Guangmei (zh: 方光𤧞)
* Fang Guangpu (zh: 方光璞)
* Fang Guangling (zh: 方光玲)
* Fang Guangluo (zh: 方光珞)
* Fang Guangan (zh: 方光𤦭)
* Fang Guangxuan (zh: 方光璇)
* Fang Guangyu (zh: 方光嶼)
Three of his children, Fang Guanglong, Fang Guanghu and Fang Guangfu became notable Taiwanese scientists. Fang Chih is also the maternal grandfather of American people, American Fashion designer Anna Sui, a descendant of his first wife, Masue Ueki via the couple's first daughter, Fang Guangqi and her husband Paul Sui.
Death and legacy
![FangChiOkinawaMemorial1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/FangChiOkinawaMemorial1.jpg)
Fang Chih died of natural causes on 28 March 1989 in Taipei, Taiwan Province,
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
at the age of 94.
A memorial and mausoleum
was built in his honor on Okinawa island complete with a statue Bust (sculpture), bust and information on his accomplishments in Okinawa where he is remembered for his efforts to develop the post-World War II economy and for his influence in opening the island to trade with the Republic of China given the two islands' shared history of Japanese and Chinese influences. The phrases "Friend of the Ryukyuan people", "I love China" and "I love Ryukyu" are engraved on the right and left sides of the statue respectively as a tribute to his connection with the people of the island and the people of Japan despite the turbulent political atmosphere of his times.
The tomb is located on Onna Hill facing the East China Sea on the outskirts of Onna, Okinawa, Onna Village in the Kunigami District, Okinawa, Kunigami District near Naha, Okinawa Prefecture.
Published works
* ''The following is an incomplete list of the works of Fang Chih''
*
*
*
*
*
*
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fang, Chih
1894 births
1989 deaths
Members of the Kuomintang
University of Tokyo alumni
University of Tsukuba alumni
Chinese anti-communists
Chinese military personnel of World War II
People of the Chinese Civil War
Kuomintang politicians in Taiwan
People of the Republic of China
Political office-holders in Shanghai
Political office-holders in Hubei
Political office-holders in Anhui
Political office-holders in Taiwan
Governors of Fujian
Political office-holders in Chongqing
Government ministers of China
Chinese Civil War refugees
Taiwanese people from Anhui
People from Tongcheng, Anhui