United States economic and military assistance policy toward China during World War II and its immediate aftermath

Abstract

This study traces the background and development of the U.S. assistance policy toward China in the late 1930's and throughout the 1940's. This aid took place in numerous forms but mostly via U.S. government programs. Operation of Lend-Lease assistance occupies a major part of this study, which was definitely the first major commitment of the U.S. resources for the large scale reconstruction of another country's economy. Although the aid given during wartime was basically intended to strengthen the capacity of China to resist the Japanese aggression, all U.S. aid programs had far reaching effects on China's post-war industrialization and economic development. Besides Lend-Lease, the other major U.S. programs to aid China were participation in the operation of UNRRA and the dispatch of an American War Production Mission to China. The short term objective of tying down three million Japanese soldiers in China superseded America's long-term objective of a unified, democratic and friendly China.

Although U.S. aid programs to China failed to achieve a major success owing to the corruption of Kuomintang officials, an outbreak of intensive civil war, and also lack of proper coordination and information about China's actual situation, it profoundly affected the United States' later relations and assistance policy toward other countries. The U.S. emerged as a major economic giant to influence the reconstruction and development of the global economy. On the other hand, China's process of westernization was largely begun because of this U.S. aid effort.