What did the declassified documents reveal?

Declassified. Today, we present a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from April tenth, nineteen sixty-one. This four-page letter, concerning China's views on Taiwan, provides an internal assessment of the morale and motivations of the mainlanders on the island and their relationship with the Taiwanese population. The document is available at documents2.theblackvault.com. This record, identified as CI01419, was released under the Freedom of Information Act without a specific FOIA case number. It was declassified by the Central Intelligence Agency on April tenth, two thousand nine, pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order one two nine five eight. The document begins: "Dear Bob, You ask about such matters as the morale and motivation of the mainlanders on Taiwan and their relations with the Taiwanese. We have wrestled with these questions time and time again in our estimates, always with a feeling of inadequacy because of the difficulty of coming to grips with a problem of attitudes in a situation where, on the one hand, an officially imposed myth has sustained national purpose within mainlander elite groups, while on the other hand, the role of the bulk of the population, the Taiwanese, has been largely one of passive resignation. Further compounding the difficulty of discerning political motivations has been the steady improvement of economic life on Taiwan, a worthy development which unfortunately, has been largely treated as incidental by the Government of the Republic of China leadership. When we talk of the mainlanders and their approach toward China, Taiwan, and their own personal futures, we must first ask, 'what mainlanders are we talking about?' Addressing ourselves first to the top echelon of the Government of the Republic of China—the Gimo, his coterie, the high-ranking military officers, some of the legislators, and high party officials—perhaps a group numbering not much more than a thousand, of them, we may say that the answers to these questions lie more in the field of psychiatry than in politics. This group, despite the passage of time and constant frustrations and disappointment, still appears to regard their residence on Taiwan as temporary. Although in their heart of hearts some of them may feel (as George Yeh is reported to have said) that 'they will live out their days on Taiwan,' as a group, they must maintain the hope and mystique of Return. So long as the awful moment of truth does not confront them, they are prepared to grasp and magnify any indication of dissidence on the Mainland as a sign of pro-G-R-C sentiment and a justification for everything they have done and all the sacrifices they have made over the past decade. The moment of truth will take place if and when the U-S takes action, either concerning the U-N or the offshore islands, which the G-R-C would interpret as unequivocal U-S support for a Two-Chinas arrangement. What will happen when these people have to face the shambles of their hopes…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Case File · ARCHIVE-388Declassified

Filed SEP 17 · 2026Runtime 1 min

Today, We Present A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record From April

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated September 17, 2026

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Declassified. Today, we present a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from April tenth, nineteen sixty-one. This four-page letter, concerning China's views on Taiwan, provides an internal assessment of the morale and motivations of the mainlanders on the island and their relationship with the Taiwanese population.

Date: SEP 17 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was Today, We Present A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record From April about?: Declassified. Today, we present a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from April tenth, nineteen sixty-one. This four-page letter, concerning China's views on Taiwan, provides an internal assessment of the morale and motivations of the mainlanders on the island and their relationship with the Taiwanese population.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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