United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and China (1945-1947)

Author: Wang Dechun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Based on a large number of reliable archival documents, this book comprehensively traces the historical process of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) engaging in relief activities in China. After the war of resistance, UNRRA provided $647 million in aid to help China rescue refugees, heal war wounds, and rebuild peaceful homes. This aid included not only hundreds of tons of various food supplies but also a large number of machinery, equipment, and transportation materials, as well as 150,000 tons of cotton and wool. These scarce essential goods and capital goods were urgently needed by the Chinese people at the time and were met with nationwide anticipation and welcome. This grand post-war economic activity brought immense hope to countless war survivors who had endured endless suffering and disaster, attracting thousands of active participants and helping millions of suffering Chinese escape hunger and the pursuit of death. This book reexamines the historical background, ideological motivations, and political intentions behind the creation of UNRRA, traces the words, thoughts, emotions, and deeds of historical figures such as Lyman, Lux, and Keys during the relief activities, and recounts the conflicts between UNRRA, the China Relief Administration (CRA), and the liberated areas on certain issues. It clarifies some historical facts in the history of the Chinese Civil War (1945-1947) and China's foreign relations during that period.