Friday, 30 October

The central heating began functioning today and our rooms are more comfortable.

Alsop wrote from Taipei that the government in Taiwan is not an unblemished free democracy, and that it is probably true that the most influential man after Chiang Kai-shek himself is his son, Chiang Ching-kuo, who is essentially the secret police chief. But, Alsop said, “the old Generalissimo, General Chen Cheng, and others have formed a government that is energetic, honest and distinctly forward-looking in its dealings with the Formosans. They have built an army that has strictly limited capabilities as yet, but an army that is a real fighting force, with almost none of the weaknesses of the old Nationalist armies on the mainland. They have created a state that is an important asset for the free world and could become a much greater asset if the United States ever takes the trouble to formulate a serious Far Eastern policy.” Coming from Alsop, this is extremely good.

Invited to dinner by Chen Xiongfei at his house. Xie Baoqiao, Mr. and Mrs. Liu Chin Chang, Mr. and Mrs. K.T. Ken, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou Lin were the other guests besides Kitty and Guo. Left early at eleven.