A Closed Book? British Intelligence and East Asia, 1945–1950
This article focuses on British intelligence in China, Japan, and Korea from the end of the Second World War to the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950. It seeks to ascertain whether the collection of secret intelligence and its subsequent interpretation provided an accurate picture of Soviet and local communist intentions in East Asia. Since the war against Japan began, the region was largely an American responsibility and remained so after 1945 when they occupied Japan, Korea below the 38th parallel, and sent forces to China. Much of the intelligence effort for East Asia also devolved upon the Americans. Yet, the British retained an intelligence interest there not least because of their extensive commercial assets in China and the region's proximity to Britain's imperial position in Southeast Asia. That interest gathered pace after growing Communist threats inside China and Korea. However, the available intelligence resources for the Far East as a whole were scarce, making it difficult to piece together a clear picture of fast moving events in East Asia.
The Great Power Struggle in East Asia, 1944–50
Acknowledgements Maps Abbreviations Introduction Defeating Japan Wartime Post-War Planning Japan Surrenders Occupation and Civil War Questioning Engagement Going into Reverse The Road to War Conclusion Bibliography Index
Chiang Kai-Shek: His Life and Times
however, there were disappointments. In addition to puzzlement over the excesses of the Cultural Revolution, he was disheartened by the reluctance of old friends to talk freely and the official coolness when the Chinese government considered Fairbank's review of Jean Pasqualini's Prisoner of Mao and his joining a joint commission with the Soviet Union as unfriendly acts. After normalization in 1979, he was once again in the good graces of the Chinese government, but he had the dubious distinction of being in disfavor in both China and Taiwan, where he was given another hearing to explain the advantage of United States-China normalization to the island's people. Throughout this intriguing memoir, the reader will find a veritable dictionary of personages who made modern Chinese history and of Old China Hands from the West. Fairbank knew most of them well and is frank about his assessments, but never vindictive. To future generations of Chinese pundits, he leaves a clear message: " . . . keep on trying, but try harder, to study China. (What else did you expect it to be?)" (p. 458).