Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Shen, Keqin, 1923- and Sun, Liren, 1900-1990
- Abstract:
- The Shen Ke-chin 沈克勤 papers (1944-2009) contain speeches, writings, correspondence, printed matter, and photographs relating to General Sun Li-jen 孫立人, Chinese military operations in Burma during World War II, the Chinese Civil War, and political conditions in Taiwan. Includes papers of Sun Li-jen.
- Extent:
- 9 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box (4.2 Linear Feet)
- Language:
- Mainly in Chinese
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Shen Ke-chin 沈克勤 papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Shen Ke-chin 沈克勤 papers contain materials primarily related to Sun Li-jen. They include Sun's personal and official correspondence, printed matter, strategic maps, confidential reports and pictorials of the Burma Campaign, military directives and instructions, daily activity reports (March 1950-October 1951) annotated by Shen, and photographs that depict Sun's military activities. Also included is a manuscript of Shen's publication Sun Li-jen Zhuan (Biography of Sun Li-jen) and research materials used to prepare the book, such as photocopies of official government documents from the Wang Shan-Tsung 王善從 (Wang Shancong) case (i.e., the Case of Sun) and telegrams exchanged between Sun, General Douglas MacArthur, and Chiang Kai-shek.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Shen Ke-chin 沉克勤 (Shen Keqin 沉克勤, Shen Ching-yung 沈敬庸, Shen Jingyong 沉敬庸) (1921- ) was Republic of China representative to Thailand from 1975 to 1989 and director of the Executive Yuan from 1989 to 1990.
From 1949 to 1953, Shen served as secretary to Sun Li-jen 孫立人 (Sun Liren 孙立人) (1899-1990), a general in Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese Nationalist Army. Sun's major military achievements, defeating the Japanese in Burma during World War II and leading the First Army to Manchuria to fight the Chinese Communists, earned him the nickname of "ever victorious general." A graduate of Purdue University and the Virginia Military Institute, Sun also served under the command of General Joseph W. Stilwell and was deemed "one of the ablest, bravest as well as one of the most 'Western-minded' leaders in the Chinese Nationalist high command" by Time magazine. In 1955, while serving as chief of staff, Sun was accused of conspiring to overthrow Chiang Kai-shek's regime in Taiwan. For more than 33 years, until his exoneration in 1988, Sun remained under house arrest in Taichung, Taiwan. It was not until 2001 that the Control Yuan released a report that posthumously cleared Sun of all charges and declared there was no evidence to support his involvement in the coup d'etat plot.
- Acquisition information:
- Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2008.
- Physical location:
- Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
- Terms of access:
-
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Shen Ke-chin 沈克勤 papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Location of this collection:
-
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305-6003, US
- Contact:
- (650) 723-3563