> (yes to all the reasons that Jim just posted, and...) Because Chiang's
> track record on the mainland up to that point was horrible. No Cold War,
no
> US aid, no open door to exports, and no stunning Taiwan miracle.
And this shows us that, under Chiang, China wouldn't have advanced as much as it has to date? And although I don't know much about Chiang's track record on the mainland (though I do know the even conservatives allow that it was pretty bad in many ways), it would seem unreasonable to expect many substantial advances during the mass tumult of the '30s and '40s.
-- Luke