The Military Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of China and Latin American Countries:A Study of the National Development Course and the Political Warfare Advisory Group (1971-2012)

• Main Authors: Jen-Yuan Chen, 陳建源
• Other Authors: Professor Lu-Hsun Hung
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/79144078989829302249

博士 === 國防大學政治作戰學院 === 政治研究所 === 101 === Due to the expansion and infiltration of communism in Latin America during the Cold War period in 1970’s, the Republic of China (ROC) recognized that its national destiny was related to the growth and decline of international anti-communism posture. In the face of such adversity quote, the ROC made an anti-communism alliance with free countries and used the military diplomatic relations in order to subsist in the world. After the withdrawal from United Nations, the ROC faced diplomatic dilemmas. Under the restriction of few official diplomatic channels, Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo indicated Lieutenant General Wang Sheng, the deputy director of the General Political Warfare Department at the Ministry of National Defense, to establish a program called “Political Warfare Course” in 1971, which attempted to use the military diplomatic relations to break through diplomatic dilemmas. Mr. Chiang thought that the ROC deeply realized the harm of communism and should share its experiences of anti-communism. Mr. Chiang thought that the best “weapon” for anti-communism is “political warfare” as well. That was why he established the Political Warfare Course to teach the ROC’s allies how to use the theory and tactics of political warfare to resist communism. After Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo was inaugurated as the ROC President in 1978, the expansion and infiltration of communism quickly spread in Latin America. The ROC promptly assisted allies in resisting communism. The Political Warfare Course invited military, police, and civilian officers of Latin American countries to Taiwan in order to teach them the theory of political warfare, Sun Tzu’s Art of War, and Three Principles of the People. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991 represented the end of the confrontation between communist and free world in the Cold War pattern. The purpose of the establishment of the Political Warfare Course was to share ROC ‘s anti-communism experiences all over the world. With the collapse of USSR, the Political Warfare Course was supposed to be halted. Owing to the military diplomatic relations and historical friendship between the ROC and its allies, the Political Warfare Course was in indispensable position in the deplomatic relations. Due to the “Jingshih. Program (The ROC Armed Forces Strengthening Program)”, the Political Warfare Course was halted in June 1995. Under the mandate of President Lee Teng-hui, the Political Warfare Course was reinstated and re-named as “National Development Course” to share ROC national development experiences in order to enhance diplomatic relations with attendees countries in October 1995. From the transformation of the National Development Course to share ROC anti-communism experiences in October 1995, till the shift into the command chain of the National Defense University in April 2012, it represents that this Program which was established under the ROC political warfare system separated from that system. In these 41 years, the military diplomatic relations with anti-communism allies by this Program make the ROC obtaining subsistence space in the diplomatic dilemmas after the withdrawal from United Nations. Also, the friendship for anti-communism with Latin American countries over the years makes Latin America as ROC’s most important diplomatic region. Although this Program is no longer related to ROC political warfare system, the history of anti-communism experiences with ROC’s allies can be the testimony of historical friendship between the ROC and its allies.