Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East, Volume VIII

740.00119 Control (Japan)/12–1046

Memorandum by the Military Intelligence Section, General Staff, of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan⁵¹

[Tokyo,] 2 April 1946.

Subject: Official Status of People of Taiwan.

To: Representative of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China.⁵²

1. With reference to your letter of March 6, 1946,⁵³ it is noted that you are in receipt of a governmental order dated January 12, 1946, issued by the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China restoring to the Chinese people of the Province of Taiwan their Chinese nationality on and from October 25, 1945. You may rest assured that prompt and appropriate consideration will be given to any instances of discrimination against any Chinese national in Japan. All Chinese people, whether from the province of Taiwan or from any other province, must receive the same treatment in Japan as any other United Nations national. There are, of course, a number of problems involved. For example, the question arises whether the Chinese Government has clearly established its views in regard to the citizenship of individuals of mixed parentage (i.e. Chinese-Formosan, Japanese-Formosan, Chinese-Japanese, etc.), of persons who have established their residence in Japan and committed acts of active collaboration with the Japanese, and of persons who though born in the province of Taiwan elect to remain in Japan rather than accept repatriation. It would perhaps be helpful to clarify some of these questions if there were available copies of the laws and regulations of the Republic of China governing the citizenship of natives and former residents of Taiwan. It is assumed that the competent Chinese officials will in due course pass upon the bona fides of Chinese nationals or persons claiming Chinese nationality now in Japan.

2. With reference to your remarks concerning the use of the word “Taiwanese”, it would seem that unless use of this term is in some way discriminatory or derogatory, action might be misinterpreted as not being in keeping with a democratic attitude toward the press if restrictive orders were to be given unnecessarily. It is believed that the use of this term might be comparable to the American vernacular expression of referring to a person from the State of California as a “Californian”. However, if the Chinese Government should feel that by use of the term “Taiwanese” there is any derogatory or discriminatory connotation, due consideration will be given promptly to the views of the Chinese Government.

3. It is desired that any instances in which Chinese nationals from the province of Taiwan now residing in Japan receive less favorable treatment from the Japanese authorities than other Chinese nationals be brought to the attention of this Headquarters.

For the A. C. of S., G–2:
s/

F. T. Armstrong

Colonel, GSC
Executive Officer, G—2

51. Copy of memorandum transmitted to the Department by the Political Adviser in Japan in his despatch 770, December 10, 1946; received December 19.
52. Tseng-hua Liu.
53. Not printed.