The Communist Threat in the Taiwan Area | Page 6

the world today. Powerful and aggressive
forces are constantly probing, now here, now there, to see whether the

free world is weakening. In the face of this there are no easy choices
available. It is misleading for anyone to imply that there are.
However, the present situation, though serious, is by no means
desperate or hopeless.
There is not going to be any appeasement.
I believe that there is not going to be any war.
But there must be sober realization by the American people that our
legitimate purposes are again being tested by those who threaten peace
and freedom everywhere.
This has not been the first test for us and for the free world. Probably it
will not be the last. But as we meet each test with courage and unity,
we contribute to the safety and the honor of our beloved land--and to
the cause of a just and lasting peace.

4. President Eisenhower's Letter to Premier Khrushchev,
September 13, 1958
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I have your letter of September 7. I agree
with you that a dangerous situation exists in the Taiwan area. I do not
agree with you as to the source of danger in this situation.
The present state of tension in the Taiwan area was created directly by
Chinese Communist action, not by that of the Republic of China or by
the United States. The fact is that following a long period of relative
calm in that area, the Chinese Communists, without provocation,
suddenly initiated a heavy artillery bombardment of Quemoy and
began harassing the regular supply of the civilian and military
population of the Quemoys. This intense military activity was begun on
August 23rd--some three weeks after your visit to Peiping. The official
Peiping Radio has repeatedly been announcing that the purpose of these
military operations is to take Taiwan (Formosa) as well as Quemoy and
Matsu, by armed force. In virtually every Peiping broadcast, Taiwan
(Formosa) and the offshore islands are linked as the objective of what
is called the "Chinese Peoples Liberation Army".
The issue, then, is whether the Chinese Communists will seek to
achieve their ambitions through the application of force, as they did in
Korea, or whether they will accept the vital requisite of world peace
and order in a nuclear age and renounce the use of force as the means
for satisfying their territorial claims. The territory concerned has never

been under the control of Communist China. On the contrary, the
Republic of China--despite the characterizations you apply to it for
ideological reasons--is recognized by the majority of the sovereign
nations of the world and its Government has been and is exercising
jurisdiction over the territory concerned. United States military forces
operate in the Taiwan area in fulfillment of treaty commitments to the
Republic of China to assist it in the defense of Taiwan (Formosa) and
the Penghu (Pescadores) Islands. They are there to help resist
aggression--not to commit aggression. No upside down presentation
such as contained in your letter can change this fact.
The United States Government has welcomed the willingness of the
Chinese Communists to resume the ambassadorial talks, which were
begun three years ago in Geneva, for the purpose of finding a means of
easing tensions in the Taiwan area. In the past, the United States
representative at these talks has tried by every reasonable means to
persuade the Chinese Communist representative to reach agreement on
mutual renunciation of force in the Taiwan area but the latter insistently
refused to reach such agreement. The United States hopes that an
understanding can be achieved through the renewed talks which will
assure that there will be no resort to the use of force in the endeavor to
bring about a solution of the issues there.
I regret to say I do not see in your letter any effort to find that common
language which could indeed facilitate the removal of the danger
existing in the current situation in the Taiwan area. On the contrary, the
description of this situation contained in your letter seems designed to
serve the ambitions of international communism rather than to present
the facts. I also note that you have addressed no letter to the Chinese
Communist leaders urging moderation upon them. If your letter to me
is not merely a vehicle for one-sided denunciation of United States
actions but is indeed intended to reflect a desire to find a common
language for peace, I suggest you urge these leaders to discontinue their
military operations and to turn to a policy of peaceful settlement of the
Taiwan dispute.
If indeed, for the sake of settling the issues that tend to disturb the
peace in the Formosa area, the Chinese Communist leaders can be
persuaded to place their trust in negotiation and a readiness to