Anna Chennault facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Chennault
|
|
|---|---|
| 陳香梅 | |
.jpg) |
|
| Born |
Chan Sheng Mai
1923, but reported as June 23, 1925 |
| Died | March 30, 2018 (aged 94) Washington, D. C., U.S.
|
| Other names | Anna Chan Chennault Anna Chen Chennault |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Claire Lee Chennault (married 1947–1958, his death) |
| Children | Claire Anna and Cynthia Louise |
| Relatives | Liao Zhongkai (great–uncle) |
Anna Chennault, born Chan Sheng Mai (also known as Chen Xiangmei), was an important figure in American politics. She was born in 1923 and passed away on March 30, 2018. Anna was a journalist who reported on wars. She was also a strong member of the Republican Party.
Anna Chennault was married to General Claire Chennault, a famous American pilot from World War II. She was also known for her role in the "China Lobby." This was a group that supported the Nationalist government of China. Some people believe she played a key role in delaying Vietnam War peace talks in 1968. This delay might have helped Richard Nixon win the election.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming a Journalist
Anna Chennault was born in Peking (now Beijing, China) on June 23, 1923. Her father was a diplomat, a person who represents their country in another nation. In 1935, he sent his family to Hong Kong, which was a British crown colony (a territory ruled by the British government). This was because he feared war between Japan and China.
Anna's mother died in 1938. As an older sister, Anna helped care for her younger sisters. Her teachers told her that her birthday meant she was meant to be a writer. On December 8, 1941, Japanese forces bombed Hong Kong. Anna witnessed the battle of Hong Kong and had to hide from bombs.
After Hong Kong surrendered, Anna and her five sisters became refugees. They fled to Guilin in "free China" to escape the Japanese. She attended Lingnan University, which had moved due to the war. During these tough years, Anna and her sisters lived in poverty. She remembered wanting to succeed as a writer to escape poverty.
In 1944, Anna earned a degree in Chinese from Lingnan University. She worked as a war correspondent for the Central News Agency from 1944 to 1948. She also wrote for the Hsin Ming Daily News in Shanghai. In 1944, she met General Claire Chennault, who led the famous Flying Tigers group. He was seen as a hero in China for protecting people from Japanese bombing. Anna interviewed him and was impressed by his kindness.
Marriage and Public Life
Anna Chen Xiangmei and General Chennault married in December 1947. He was 32 years older than her. General Chennault had divorced his first wife in 1946. Anna and Claire had two daughters, Claire Anna and Cynthia Louise.
After the war, General Chennault was very famous. He passed away in 1958 from lung cancer. The Chennaults lived in both Taipei (Taiwan) and Monroe, Louisiana. Anna Chennault was the first non-white person to live in a previously all-white neighborhood in Monroe. General Chennault's hero status helped overcome any objections to his Chinese wife.
General Chennault was a Sinophile, meaning he loved Chinese culture. He strongly admired Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) in China. In the 1940s, he joined the China Lobby. This was a group of people who believed the U.S. should support the Kuomintang government. After the Kuomintang lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communists, the China Lobby became more focused on right-wing politics.
Anna Chennault followed her husband into the China Lobby. By 1955, she often gave speeches. She called for American support for Chiang Kai-shek and Taiwan. She also wanted the Kuomintang to return to mainland China. Anna spoke English well and was a good speaker. As a Chinese-American woman, she was seen as someone who knew what was best for China. This made her a popular speaker for the China Lobby.
Life as a Widow and Political Influence
.jpg)
After her husband's death, Anna Chennault worked in various roles. She was a publicist for Civil Air Transport in Taipei, Taiwan. She also became vice president of international affairs for the Flying Tiger Line. Later, she was president of TAC International.
In 1960, Anna started her political career. She campaigned for Richard Nixon and was a main campaigner among Chinese-Americans for the Republican Party. She also worked as a correspondent for news agencies and a broadcaster for the Voice of America.
Anna became a well-known hostess in Washington, D.C. She used her social events to build connections and influence. She believed the U.S. had "abandoned" the Kuomintang in the Chinese Civil War. This made her a strong supporter of the Vietnam War. She argued that the U.S. had a duty to support South Vietnam.
In 1958, Mao Zedong started the Great Leap Forward in China. This led to a terrible famine that killed millions. Many Chinese people fled to Hong Kong as refugees. Anna Chennault became very active in helping these refugees. She was president of a group called Chinese Refugee Relief (CRR). In 1962, she asked the U.S. government to fund the CRR. She spoke about her own experience as a refugee. She said she wanted to help the Chinese people escape "the cruelty of the Communists."
Anna's strong opposition to communism led her to support Republicans. In the 1964 United States presidential election, she worked for Senator Barry Goldwater. Goldwater was a very conservative politician. Anna helped his campaign by speaking to Chinese-Americans and other non-white voters. This helped counter accusations that Goldwater was racist.
The "Chennault Affair" and Vietnam
On March 31, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would not run for president again. He also said he would stop some bombing in North Vietnam. He wanted to start peace talks to end the Vietnam War. These talks began in Paris in May 1968.
In the 1968 United States presidential election, Anna Chennault led the Republican Women for Nixon Committee. Some records suggest she played a key role for the Nixon campaign. The campaign wanted to delay the peace talks. This was to help Nixon win the election.
On July 12, 1968, Anna introduced the South Vietnamese ambassador, Bùi Diễm, to Nixon. The CIA and NSA were secretly watching Diễm and reading his messages. Henry Kissinger, a professor, was also involved in peace efforts. He later became a Nixon adviser.
By late October 1968, peace talks seemed to be going well. It looked like a peace agreement might happen before the election. This could have helped the Democratic candidate, Hubert Humphrey, win. However, South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu did not want the peace talks to succeed.
On October 23, Ambassador Diễm told Thiệu that he was in contact with Chennault. Diễm reported that "Republican friends" encouraged them to "stand firm." Chennault's messages suggested that Nixon would get a better peace deal if elected. This encouraged Thiệu to make demands that stopped the peace talks. Nixon's aide, H.R. Haldeman, wrote notes saying, "Keep Anna Chennault working on SVN [South Vietnam]."
The FBI and CIA were listening to Chennault's phone calls. They also read South Vietnamese diplomatic messages. They knew Chennault was encouraging Thiệu to delay. President Johnson called Nixon to tell him he knew what was happening. Johnson believed Chennault's actions were very serious.
Thiệu's actions stopped the peace talks in Paris. On October 30, 1968, Thiệu announced South Vietnam was leaving the talks. He said it was because of seating arrangements. The South Vietnamese delegation did not return until January 1969.
Historian John A. Farrell found a memo from Haldeman. It confirmed Nixon had approved "throwing a monkey wrench" into Johnson's peace talks. The presidential election was very close. Nixon won by a small margin. Many believed Chennault's actions might have made the difference.
Because Nixon won, no one was charged for these actions. A week after the election, Nixon's team asked Chennault to help again. They wanted her to persuade Saigon to join the talks. But she refused. Anna Chennault later said Nixon thanked her in 1969. He told her he knew she was "a good soldier."
The "Chennault Affair" is still debated by historians. Some say it didn't change much. Others argue it ended a chance for peace in 1968. They believe it was done for political reasons.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1970, President Nixon appointed Anna Chennault to important committees. She continued to lead Chinese Refugee Relief until 1970. She also led the General Claire Chennault Foundation.
Anna was a Republican national committeewoman for Washington, D.C. She encouraged many Chinese Americans to get involved in politics. In 1973, she helped start the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA).
In 1971, Chennault tried to stop the United Nations General Assembly from removing Taiwan. The UN voted to recognize the People's Republic of China instead. Chennault raised a lot of money for Nixon's reelection campaign in 1972.
After Nixon visited China in 1972, the U.S. began to recognize the People's Republic of China. In 1975, as South Vietnam fell, President Thiệu fled to Taiwan. Chennault visited him and said President Gerald Ford would give asylum to his family, but not to him.
Throughout the 1970s, Chennault worked against U.S. recognition of the People's Republic of China. She signed a letter to President Jimmy Carter about China's human rights record. But Carter officially recognized the People's Republic of China in 1979. Chennault also helped Vietnamese refugees fleeing the communist government.
In 1981, Chennault visited Beijing. She met Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. She was acting as an unofficial diplomat for incoming President Ronald Reagan. Reagan wanted China as an ally against the Soviet Union. Chennault told Deng that Reagan's criticisms of communism were mainly for the Soviet Union.
Chennault also met her relative, the communist politician Liao Chengzhi. She later visited Taipei to tell President Chiang Ching-kuo (Chiang Kai-shek's son) about her trip.
In 1984, Chennault led a trade mission to China. This was to help trade between the U.S. and China. She also worked on trade between Taiwan and China. She hoped that economic ties would lead to China and Taiwan reuniting. However, Taiwan became a democracy, and many Taiwanese did not want to reunite with China.
After the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the U.S. pulled away from China. But Chennault passed a message to Deng. She said Washington still wanted a good relationship. She also said U.S. sanctions were temporary. She continued to lead business delegations to China.
.jpg)
Anna Chennault passed away on March 30, 2018, in Washington, D.C.. She was 94 years old. She is buried next to her husband at Arlington National Cemetery.
Memberships
- 14th Air Force Association
- Theta Sigma Phi
- National Military Family Association, founder and chairperson
- Committee of 100
See Also
- Claire Lee Chennault
- China Lobby
- Richard Nixon 1968 presidential campaign
