The James Soong Archive 宋楚瑜檔案

From the time James Soong became Chiang Ching-kuo’s English-language secretary up to his own bids for the presidency, Soong was present at the highest levels of decision making in the government. As a political scientist, he had a keen appreciation of the significance of the moment; he also understood the research value that the drafts and notes passing over his desk would have one day.

The archive is especially rich in materials relating to Soong’s interaction with successive presidents of the ROC and premiers of the Executive Yuan, his contact with political leaders of various foreign powers, and his experience in cross-Strait communications. The collection of sources concerning the break in U.S. relations with Taiwan, for example, is unparalleled in its completeness. Other materials document the gradual opening up of Taiwan’s social climate concurrent with the lifting of martial law, the development of political parties in opposition to the Kuomintang, and the increased transparency brought to KMT-run enterprises.

With the lifting of martial law, Soong assisted army veterans seeking to reunite with family on the mainland. He headed Lee’s Mainland Operations Steering Group, which shaped Taiwan’s mainland China policy, and was a major contributor to the “Guidelines for National Unification,” precursor to the 1992 Consensus. Soong participated in the first high-level cross-Strait meeting and made his own “bridge-building tour” of the mainland.

Under Lee, Soong engaged in “party diplomacy” to ensure Taiwan’s survival and its place in the international community, cementing ties with democratic parties globally, enhancing mutual understanding, and complementing the government’s formal efforts in international relations. He continued this work in 2016 and again in 2017 at the request of Tsai Ing-wen, when he headed the Taiwan delegation to APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). All this work is fully documented in the archive.

During his years in government, James Soong strove to bring Taiwan’s provincial society into the modern world. As governor, he dedicated himself to improving infrastructure in every county, city, and township in Taiwan—an effort that encompassed transportation, education, water conservancy, healthcare, services for the disadvantaged, development of the outlying islands, and more. The practical nature of the projects, the unobstructed communication and coordination at the grassroots level, the plentiful capital dedicated to the projects, Soong’s ability to work with local leaders of varying party affiliation cooperatively and harmoniously—together set a model for Asia.

James Soong’s purpose in presenting this archive to Berkeley was to focus and facilitate scholarly attention on Taiwan’s modern political history; the ultimate benefit will be a deeper, fuller understanding of Taiwan and the values it embodies.