"one Million People Committee" And Decision Making In China During The Cold War The United States

Interest group is a very important factor in American political process. It is essential to the operation of American politics. Its goals are primarily achieved through lobbying activities. Among American interest groups, the "China Lobby" is a special interest group which was formed since the1940s in influencing American China policy."China Lobby" refers to a broad coalition which existed in the United States and abroad, whose members included agents of Taiwan Kuomintang Government, the Chinese-American, American lobbyists employed by Taiwan Kuomintang Government, some American politicians, scholars, businessmen, missionaries expulsed by the newly established People’s Republic of China, some American military personnel frustrated by the "loss of China". They strove to maintain Taiwan Kuomintang Government, and attempted to destroy the communist movement in China."The Committee of One Million" was a representative organization of the "China Lobby". It was the backbone of the "China Lobby", and its themes included opposing against the U.S. government to recognize People’s Republic of China and against PRC entering into the United Nations, actively advocating the defense of Quemoy and Matsu in the first Taiwan Strait crisis and opposing against the relaxation of China trade restrictions. It fully utilized newspapers, radio, petitions, newsletters, campaign contributions, congressional hearings and other channels to exert influence on public opinion, congressmen, scholars and government officials.Political Process Model is the main analytical framework of this paper."The Committee of One Million" took various lobbying activities to oppose against the U.S. government to recognize the new China and against China’s accession to the United Nations. On the basis of the existing research results, American foreign policy documents, presidential autobiographies and media reports, this paper will analyze the contributing factors of those lobbying activities in different international and domestic context and evaluate the historical role of "the Committee of One Million". At last, the paper will give some advices to keeping Sino-American Relationship healthy growth according to trend of Sino-American Relationship at present.