KMT Plan to Recapture Mainland Failed to Gain US Support

CND, 15 April 2002

[CND, 04/15/02] Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the defeated Kuomintang who led his followers to Taiwan after he lost the civil war, has asked the United States for atomic bombs to launch an attack to the mainland coastline, but his request was rejected, according to recently released top-secret documents from Taiwan's Defense Ministry, the South China Morning Post reported.

According to a United Evening News report, Chiang's plan in 1950s intended to fire one and two kiloton, low-yield atomic shells from cannons to Fujian province located right across the Taiwan Strait.

The document revealed that the plan, named K, was initiated in 1954 to make a comeback to the mainland in the summer of 1956 by attacking Fujian and Guangdong at the same time.

The United Stated rejected Taiwan's request for fear that the nuclear weapon transfer would trigger the Soviet Union to do the same for the mainland. (Dong LIU)