[BroJoeK]

Sino Japanese War

"From December 1937 events such as the Japanese attack on the USS Panay and the Nanking Massacre swung public opinion in the West sharply against Japan and increased their fear of Japanese expansion, which prompted the United States, the United Kingdom, and France to provide loan assistance for war supply contracts to Kuomintang.

"Furthermore, Australia prevented a Japanese Government-owned company from taking over an iron mine in Australia, and banned iron ore exports in 1938.[4]

"Japan retaliated by invading Vietnam in 1940, and successfully blockaded China and prevented the import of arms, fuel and 10,000 tons/month of materials supplied by the Western Powers through the Haiphong-Yunnan Fou railway line.

"By mid-1941, the United States organized the American Volunteer Group, or Flying Tigers. Led by Claire Chennault, their early combat success of 300 kills against a loss of 12 of their shark painted P-40 fighters earned them wide recognition at the time when Allies were suffering heavy losses."

So, the US provided Mao's communists with how many tons of supplies, and how many fighter planes?

[Quix]

I don’t recall the details.

I think there’s a thread on FR.

I think it was more holding back certain things, facilitating certain things . . . aiding with materiel was a minor part of such manipulations, imho.

The puppet masters have been playing all sides against the middle for many, many decades.

[Quix]

PLEASE read post #76 at the FR thread link in my tag line.

After reading those quotes of leaders from 1900 on, THEN tell me whether you believe the CIA did no such thing, or not.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

So, the US provided Mao's communists with how many tons of supplies, and how many fighter planes?

Marshall et al WITHHELD supplies from Chiang, and repeatedly restrained him from going after Mao and finishing off Mao once and for all [while Chiang still had the upper hand] at the same time that Stalin was arming Mao to the teeth.

BTW, after Chiang was vanquished to Formosa/Taiwan, most of China was effectively a Soviet satellite [literally - it was almost another province of the Soviet Union] until Stalin's death - that's something else which Chang & Halliday make clear.

[Tainan]

The bespectacled gent looking off-camera with the bemused grin is indeed Gen. Joseph Stillwell. Picture was taken in Maymyo in April 1942. Generalissimo Chiang and the Madame Chiang are undoubtedly grinning them selves at the irony of this historical photo - they both loathed Stillwell as he clearly saw through the game they were using, playing the USA, Britain and Russia off against each other to build the 'new dynasty' in China that they felt was their entitlement.
BTW, Chiang many times made it clear to anyone who cared to listen that he would halt aggression against the Japanese, not a formal alliance just a cessation of hostility, if he didn't continue to receive his due tonnage of material support each month. He was loosely allied with Mao and the Communists but recognized that he faced them after the war as a rival for control of Mainland China. He needed to build his reserves of military hardware to face this. So he was very sparing in his application of goods received to fight the Japanese at this time. Sparing - heck, he had to be cajoled, threatened, bribed and made promises to just to get him to supply trucks he was given to move his troops to within marching distance of the front lines.
This is one of the reasons he, Chiang kai-Shek, favored Chennault abd his group over Gen Stillwell. Chennault was his key to receiving aid. Roads were closed - the British didn't want to spare the manpower to rebuild them. Although they did commit a great number of Indian troops for this...all to naught. So Chennault and his airplanes held 2 key advantages for 'Peanut' or 'Peanut Head' (Stillwells' radio code name for CKS.)#1 - Chennaults planes could fly into the theater with supplies for Nationalist troops and CKSs' warehouses. #2 - Chennaults pilots could fly the Nationalist 'Air Force' fighter planes and hit Japanese troops so his troops would not have to fight (and he(CKS) wouldn't have to use the supplies he was demanding from his allies to fight the Japanese.)

For Chiang kai-Shek it was all about the end-game ---He wanted power to control China. He made his alliances with this solely in mind - His power base.