CO129-619-1 Parliamentary delegation to China 1-9-1947 - 23-12-1947 — Page 130

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CONFIDENTIAL

7. Short notes on some leading Chinese personalities.

Chiang Kai-shek

President of the National Government of the Republic

of China. Director General of the Kuomintang.

Since 1928 except for short intervals has

exercised the real power in China and his position

today remains unchallenged. He is married to a sister

of T.V. Soong (q.v.), who besides being a gifted and

attractive woman is in her own right a forceful

personality. He himself speaks no English but his wife

(educated in the United States of America) does.

to be known as the Generalissimo.

Chang Chia-ao.

Prefers

Banker. Now Governor of the Central Bank of China.

Formerly

From September 1945 to April 1947 was Economic

Commissioner for the North Eastern Provinces.

connected with the Bank of China and Central Bank, and

from 1938 to 1942 was Minister of Communications.

Speaks good English and also German and Japanese and

is pleasant to deal with. His brother is Carson Chang,

leader of the Social Democratic Party.

Chang Ch'un.

Since April 1947 has been President of the

Executivo Yuan (corresponding to position of Prime

Minister in the United Kingdom). He has at various

times since 1929 held the posts of Mayor of Shanghai,

Chairman of Hupei Provincial Government, Minister for

Foreign Affairs (1935-37) and Chairman of the Szechuan

Provincial Government (1940 47). He was one of the

Chief K.M. T. negotiators with the Communists in 1945

/ and

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