Chiang Kai-shek Quotes

Quotes by and about Chiang Kai-shek

(Continued from his main entry on the site.)

New York Times: "He led an austere and frugal life."

New York Times: "He also believed in rigorous self-examination of his moral actions, and he kept a diary in which he set down every week the results of his introspection. This gave him both an inner certainty and an insularity to criticism."

Jay Taylor: "He was a hypocritical as the next undemocratic powerful leader, but he was not a cynical man. ... He thought of himself as a moral, sincere, up-to-date Confucian Christian, and he was motivated ... by a vision of a unified, modern, independent China."

Jay Taylor: "[At the end of WWII] Chiang sent a telegram to Mao assuring him that 'eternal peace was on the horizon' and 'sincerely' inviting him to 'our temporary capital' to discuss problems of 'critical importance to the nation.' Mao clearly viewed the invitation not only as a stratagem in the Nationalist-Communist contest to appear the most desirous of unity and peace, but also as a demonstration of what he had long seen as Chiang's disingenuous but strong belief in his own benevolent and moral character - not to mention Chiang's skill at political manipulation and crisis management."

Jay Taylor: "The difference between the imbibing, expansive, and humorous Mao and the teetotaling, taciturn Generalissimo was considerable. At one point, Mao raised a glass of the fiery liquor Maotai and proposed the ancient toast once made to emperors: 'President Chiang Kai-shek, ten thousand years!'"

Jay Taylor: "[During this time Mao and Chiang met] at least nine times, including for long private conversations that were formal but always civil. During these conversations, Chiang pressed home his points while Mao, to avoid an argument, was either vaguely agreeable or evasive."