时不我
与。盼弟善为抉择(27)，未雨绸缪。“寥廓海天，不归何待？”
人到高年，愈加怀旧，如弟方便，余当束装就道，前往台北探望，并面聆诸长辈教
益。“度尽劫波兄弟在，相逢一笑泯恩仇”。遥望南天，不禁神驰(28)，书不尽言，诸希
珍重，伫候复音。 老夫人前请代为问安。方良、纬国及诸侄不一。
顺祝
近祺！
廖承志
１９８２年７月２４日
A Letter to Chiang Ching-Kuo
Liao Chengzhi
July 24, 1982
Dear brother Ching-Kuo,
Who would have expected that the short distance between us should be keeping us
poles apart! It is now more than 36 years since our brief encounter in Nanjing. The days we
spent together in childhood as well as later in the Soviet capital, however, are still as fresh
as ever in my memory. But it’s a pity indeed that we haven’t heard from each other for so
many years. Recently it filled me with much concern to learn of your indisposition. Men
aged over seventy are liable to illness. I hope you will take good care of yourself.
For three years, we have repeatedly proposed bilateral talks between the two parties to
let bygones be bygones and strive together for the great cause of national reunification. But
you have time and again insisted upon having “no contact, no talks and no compromise”,
which I truly think inadvisable. In view of the public and personal concerns as well as
long-standing deep friendship between our two families, I feel duty-bound to offer you a
word of advice for careful consideration.
The peaceful reunification of the motherland will be a great achievement to go down
in history. Taiwan is bound to be reunited eventually with the motherland. An early
settlement of the problem will be in the interests of all. The compatriots in Taiwan will be
able to live in peace and happiness, the people of all nationalities on both sides of the
Taiwan straits will be relieved of the pains of separation from their flesh and blood, and
our senior folks in Taiwan and those formerly migrated there from the mainland will all be
properly placed and provided for. And, moreover, it will contribute to the stability of Asia
and the Pacific region as well as to world peace. You used to seek self-encouragement
from the motto, “The interests to be considered should be the interests of all; the fame to be
sought should be an everlasting fame.” If you should be instrumental in bringing about the
cause of national reunification, you will certainly win esteem and praise nationwide and
your meritorious service to the country will earn you a niche in the temple of fame. It is
sheer absurdity to think yourself “guilty” for rendering such a service. After all, dragging
out your existence in that tight eastern corner is by no means a permanent solution. This
should be crystal clear to a man of your wisdom. Procrastination, hesitation or sleeping ▓本▓作▓品▓由▓▓網▓友▓整▓理▓上▓傳▓
over the problem will only lead to adversity and you, my brother, will hardly be able to
escape censure. Moreover, peaceful reunification is entirely an internal affair of China. As
is known to all, outsiders who are talking glibly against it have designs on our Taiwan. To
be irresolute when a prompt decision should be taken would only spell disaster. I, therefore,
would like you to think this over carefully.
After going through untold hardships during which countless revolutionaries
unflinchingly laid down their lives, the Kuomintang founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen finally
overthrew the monarchy and established the republic. This has been universally recognized
as a glorious achievement. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party twice cooperated
and on both occasions they made tremendous contributions to the country and the nation.
We know something about the first cooperation, led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, though we still
young at that time. The second cooperation was presided over by your father and, as
participants in it, we should know what it was all about. Complicated as the matter was, an
overall view of the situation will show that united, the country and the nation benefit;
divided, they suffer. Now, as head of the Taiwan administration, you have unshirkable
r