The Origin of the Ten Major Construction Projects: Did the KMT and Chiang Kai-shek Steal US Aid Money? — Refuting the Truman Said Chiang's Family Were Thieves Historical Viewpoint

This article refutes a widely circulated online claim: that Taiwan's Ten Major Construction Projects originated because Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling embezzled over half of US aid funds, and Truman, to prevent further corruption by the Chiang family, converted US aid to support infrastructure construction. The author points out that this claim is severely flawed in its timeline: the Ten Major Construction Projects began in 1974, while US aid was canceled as early as 1965 due to Taiwan's economic stability. The article also clarifies the phased nature of US aid (from grants to loans) and questions the authenticity of Truman angrily accusing the Chiang family of stealing US$700 million (sourced from a post-retirement personal interview rather than official records). The author believes that such remarks, which attribute all credit to the US and smear the KMT, are anti-intellectual conspiracy theories that even mess up the timeline.