Origins of the China Lobby, 1937-1941" by Tae Jin Park

The “China Lobby,” a common term applied to groups and individuals aggressively seeking America's political commitments to and financial aid for Chiang ... Skiptomaincontent HomeAboutFAQMyAccount ContactUs   Home > GraduateTheses,Dissertations,andProblemReports > 7369 GraduateTheses,Dissertations,andProblemReports Title InSupportof“NewChina”:OriginsoftheChinaLobby,1937-1941 Author TaeJinPark DateofGraduation 2003 DocumentType Dissertation College EberlyCollegeofArtsandSciences Department History CommitteeChair JackL.Hammersmith CommitteeMember ElizabethA.Fones-Wolf CommitteeMember A.MichalMcMahon CommitteeMember JasonC.Parker CommitteeMember HongN.Kim Abstract The“ChinaLobby,”acommontermappliedtogroupsandindividualsaggressivelyseekingAmerica’spoliticalcommitmentstoandfinancialaidforChiangKai-shek’sGuomindang(GMD)regimeinChina,cameintopopularuseinthe1950's,especiallyasitfitintothehighlyvolatilecontextoftheColdWar.Acloserinvestigationofthislobby,however,revealsthatitoriginatednotinthepostwarturmoilofColdWarpoliticsbutadecadeearlierintheequallydifficultdebateovertheproperroleoftheUnitedStatesduringthe“ChinaIncident”ofthelate1930's.Pro-ChineselobbyingandpropagandaactivitiesinAmericabeganinthe1930'saseffortstopersuadeWashingtontorenderitslong-termcommitmenttoChina,thenasemi-colonystrugglingagainsttheJapaneseempire.Yet,theU.S.StateDepartmentmaintainedapolicythatdiscouragedAmerica’slong-termpoliticalcommitmentorsubstantialfinancialaidtoChina.WhatcannotbeoverlookedwastheRooseveltadministration’sdiverseandoftensecretivewayofconductingforeignpolicy.ItpreferredtodealwithChinabehindthescenes,giventheprominentisolationistsentimentsandanxietiesAmericansheldonU.S.-Japaneserelations.Thus,althoughtheStateDepartmentwasunwillingtoapproveofficialaidtoChina,negotiationsoverU.S.aidtoChinawereconductedlargelythrough“non-regular”channelsofdiplomacyuntil1941.Theseadhocchannelsofdiplomacytookholdduringthe“ChinaIncident”of1937-1941whenWashingtonfounditdifficulttosupportChinaopenlyagainstJapanandyetagreedtofinanceChina’swaragainstJapanthroughsubsidiaryagenciesoftheTreasuryDepartmentandtheReconstructionFinanceCorporation.Atthesametime,WashingtonallowedprivateAmericanaidtoflowtoChinaonhumanitariangrounds.ThisprivatesupportwasaccompaniedbyunofficialpropagandaeffortsthatcharacterizedChina’scauseintermsofthestrugglefora“NewChina.”Accordingly,lobbyistsorpublicistsratherthanthediplomatsthemselvesplayedamajorroleinpromotingSino-Americanrelationsduringthatperiod.Yet,apartfromtheoriginalintentionsoftheRooseveltadministration,thesepoliciescontributeddirectlytotheformationoftheChinaLobbyinAmericaby1941.Inotherwords,theChinaLobbygrewasanoffshootofRoosevelt’ssecretandoftenunconventionaldiplomacythatsoughttokeepChinafightingJapanbysupportingsuchlow-riskmeasuresasfinancialtradeandpropagandaratherthanthroughopendiplomaticcommitmentorpoliticalalliance.TracingtheinfluencesontheU.S.governmentbyindividualsandorganizationsthatinfact,ifnotinname,compriseda“ChinaLobby”intheprewaryears,thisstudyseekstorevealthatitwasatleastaspowerfulasthelateronebut,duetoaColdWaremphasisonthe“loss”ofChinain1949,wasneveraswellunderstood. RecommendedCitation Park,TaeJin,"InSupportof“NewChina”:OriginsoftheChinaLobby,1937-1941"(2003).GraduateTheses,Dissertations,andProblemReports.7369. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/7369 Download DOWNLOADS SinceDecember02,2019 Includedin AsianHistoryCommons Share COinS       Browse Collections Disciplines Authors Resources WVULibraries WVUResearchOffice WVUResearchCommons OpenAccess@WVU DigitalPublishingInstitute Search Entersearchterms: Selectcontexttosearch: inthisseries inthisrepository acrossallrepositories AdvancedSearch NotifymeviaemailorRSS AuthorCorner AuthorFAQ SubmitResearch   DigitalCommons Home| About| FAQ| MyAccount| AccessibilityStatement Privacy Copyright