On February 15, President Chiang Ching-kuo was nominated for re-election as president of the Republic of China. In accepting the unanimous decision of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang, Chiang said he was a "willing soldier ready to go back to the battlefield with a fighting spirit."

Although the choice came as no real surprise, it confirmed the wide support and popularity he has among the entire population. The past six years of Chiang's term has seen the continued growth of the country in all sectors of life. Under his able leadership, the ideals of the Kuomintang party have been further advanced towards a free and democratic society. Of course, the new term of office will bring forth new challenges but the people will continue to give him their unfailing support.

The spirit of president Chiang's leadership is best summed up in the words he used to address the eleventh meeting of the Kuomintang on November 16th, 1976. He said: "the party has only two leadership positions: Tsungtsai (the late President Chiang Kai-shek) and Tsungli (Dr. Sun Yat-sen). There is no third post. We are all party members, and are supporters of the Tsungtsai and the Tsungli. I am just a party member, a revolutionary soldier, that is all. To be a soldier is to be willing to accept your orders, follow the code, do what you are supposed to do and carry out all your responsibilities."

His early life and past years of government experience both on Taiwan and the mainland have helped to mold his leadership qualities. In 1925, he was sent to Moscow to study military science and engineering. As the Sino-Japanese War broke out, he became a virtual hostage there, and was not able to return to China until 1937. During his 12-year stay in Russia, he had once been banished by Stalin to the cold wasteland of Siberia. He learned the inhumanity of Communism first hand and reached the conclusion that China should resolutely oppose the Communist way.

President Chiang's political career began in 1939 during the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japan, when he was named administrative commissioner for southern Kiangsi province. Working at the basic levels, he came to understand the sufferings of the people and exhausted himself in his efforts to help overcome their difficulties.

With the removal of the government to Taiwan, Chiang took a post in the Defense department. He was responsible for the rebuilding of the defense forces, and was the founder of an organization to help retired soldiers. The organization looks after the needs and benefits of the ex-soldiers.

He was also the founder of the China Youth Corps, an organization that is devoted to instructing and providing activities for the youth of the Republic of China. This program has been an overwhelming success and is still expanding. Chiang worked his way up to become the leader of the Executive Yuan and it was during the early 1970's that he helped launch and promote the government's ten major projects for economic growth.

With the death of his father in 1975, Chiang was unanimously elected to the post of Chairman of the Kuomintang. On May 20, 1978, he officially took office as the sixth president of the Republic of China.

During his term the country's economy has made tremendous progress. The country has advanced steadily and now has one of Asia's most stable and productive economies. In other areas, his success has been just as great, and even in the face of heavy odds, the President has managed to continue achieving important accomplishments. The severance of diplomatic relations with the U.S. government came as a shock. Nevertheless, the President remained calm. He rallied the people with his call for self-reliance and self-preservation. In the absence of diplomatic ties, ROC maintains a constructive relationship with the U.S. government, thanks to the able leadership of the President.

At a time when the president is about to begin a new term of office, the people of the Republic of China on Taiwan can look back at the last six years with pride and forward to the next six with hope and confidence.

(Gerald Hatherly)

The Presidential Candidate: Chiang Has the People's Confidence.