With the opening of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, the Republic of China is joining the brave battle against communism, and initiating long-thought-out plans to liberate the mainland. However war is not merely a battle of soldier against soldier, but of nations and economies, of what they call total war--a concept with which Chiang Kai-shek is intimately familiar. In this, the entire world will be engaged--from the Soviet Union's factories on the Volga and Dnepr, to American financiers in New York City. But in particular, the Asia-Pacific is poised to be pivotal in the coming conflict, set to be greater than that of Vietnam or indeed any engagement since the Chinese Civil War paused in 1949.

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Forming Of Asian Industrial Development Association

The need for war material, personnel, and other resources requires intensive economic planning and interaction, as the experience of the Second World War would demonstrate. Alone, we will inevitably face inefficiencies, but together, we can produce more than the sum of the parts. For this reason the Republic of China has approached the following nations to form a loose association that will coordinate on economic policy, particularly in providing economic services to the United States and its military efforts, but also on increasing agricultural productivity, chemical industries and other areas, particularly war-relevant ones, along with certain social issues [particularly the large number of refugees being generated by the incessant fighting].

• Japan
• Vietnam
• Philippines
• Thailand
• Malaya
• United Kingdom [in its capacity as colonial administrator of Sarawak, Brunei, Hong Kong etc]
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Korea [provisional due to, y'now, the whole "war" business]
• United States [observer/funder?]

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This organization explicitly rejects any open political agenda, especially regarding A) reunification of China and B) like... everything involving Japan. It rejects any agenda related to territorial disputes. Its focus is entirely on improving crop yields, making more widgets, and liberalizing trade and commerce in an attempt to follow the lead of the West in rapid industrialization and modernization.

American GIs

With the arrival of hundreds of thousands of American GIs to the Korean War, it is inevitable that some will want a change of scenery and pace for R&R. Japan, which already accommodates a great host of them, is probably not the best place for all of them to, uh, "let off steam". We suggest that AIDA, in cooperation with the United States, establish tourist services, arrange for travel [primarily by air] and protection of American GIs in Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

Repair Services

American warships and merchant vessels are under serious strain, and we suggest that we utilize what resources we have to provide them with repair facilities--particularly the British shipyards at Singapore, which presently are primarily occupied with servicing the Royal Navy. There is also a great need to do repairs and maintenance for American military vehicles from airplanes to jeeps, and this is something that we can also provide--for the right price--and in coordination with each other regarding the capabilities of our facilities and technicians.

Coal and Steel [and other mineral commodities]

Our region is unfortunately very poor in terms of mineral resources, but with that being said, it is hardly as if we have none. Coal can be found to some degree in Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam [Indonesia as well has plenty but is Soviet-sympathetic if not outright Soviet-aligned]. A reduction in import protections within the region, combined with investment in modernization and reclamation of marginal and new mines, particularly of coal, iron ore, bauxite and other vital minerals. A liberalization in mining tariffs and technology should aid Australia considerably and allow the entire region access to an increasingly abundant bounty of mineral riches required to industrialize and provide key services to the United States in Korea.

Enhanced Manufacturing

Manufacturing industries are perhaps the most relevant to modern conflict, and to the modern economy. While most of our group is not optimally poised to participate in high-end manufacturing like aerospace or even automobiles [though perhaps automotive parts], we can do low-end manufacturing of textiles, raw industrial materials like steel and concrete, furnishings, and all sorts of other products quite well. A proposed liberalization and coordination of manufacturing and industrial policy will benefit all of our nations.

Agricultural Improvements

Most of us are at present food importers, but that is not the case for all of us--particularly our southern members. While some steps have already been undertaken--especially the establishment of the International Rice Research Institute--we believe that further collaboration between our universities, agronomists, and scientists regarding methods of modern, scientific farming, developments of machines, new strains of everything from rice to apple trees adopted to modern conditions--will be hugely beneficial for all involved, along with related industrial expenditures, some of which are dual-use [pesticides, fertilizers].

Training and Education

Direct aid and cooperation can only go so far, and has its own downsides--we do not wish to facilitate an "aid mindset" in any of our members. However, our people are hard-working and, given the chance and opportunities, will be happy to improve their lot in life. Therefore we suggest that as part of these broad initiatives that Japan, the United States and other foreign nations be encouraged to set up centers, in collaboration with locals, to train our workers to the standards expected of the modern world, to be able to become efficient cogs in the world economy, something which many are willing but unable to do today.

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Conclusion

Further initiatives will likely follow this one, based on changing circumstances both political, economic and military [M: and be posts of their own, more fleshed out than the short paragraphs here--they might include creations like SEATO, ADB, ASEAN etc as well]. Participation of other foreign nations is, generally speaking, encouraged provided that they have an interest in the peaceful and cooperative development of East Asia. In practice we expect that Eastern Bloc nations are to be quietly blacklisted, but if they deal with us in good faith this need not be the case.

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For the location of the headquarters of the AIDA we propose Manila, Philippines, presently the second-most industrialized nation in Asia and one with warm relations with all of us and the United States, and which does not carry the political baggage of Japan, for whom this is almost a perfect incarnation of some of their pre-1945 plans to develop East Asia.