Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI

794A.00/1–1350

The Secretary of State to the Chinese Ambassador ( Koo )

Washington , January 13, 1950.

My Dear Mr. Ambassador: I have received your letter of December 23, 1949¹ presenting a Memorandum from your Government which requests extension by the United States Government of certain types of military and economic aid to the island of Taiwan. Your letter of January 3, 1950² which transmitted supplementary memoranda in this connection has also been received.

With reference to the request of your Government for United States military assistance, your attention is invited to the public statement made by the President on January 5, 1950³ regarding the position of the United States Government with respect to Formosa, a copy of which is attached.

The Economic Cooperation Administration is carrying on a program of economic assistance to Taiwan with funds made available by Section 12 of Public Law 47 (81st Congress),⁴ and it is intended that this program continue in accordance with the authorizing legislation. Careful attention has been and continues to be given within the United States Government to the question of how United States economic assistance might contribute to a vigorous and effective effort by the Chinese Government to create and maintain stable economic and political conditions on Taiwan. The requests for economic aid made by your Government will be taken fully into account in this continuing process of review and implementation.

Sincerely yours,

Dean Acheson

1. Text in Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. ix, p. 457.
2. Not printed.
3. See the editorial note under that date, p. 264.
4. Approved April 19, 1949; 63 Stat. 50.