At the end of China Civil War, the United States refused to accept the Communist People's Republic of China as China's true government. What were the advantages of such a policy? What were the disadvantages? Do you agree with this decision? Why or Why not?

Throughout Second World War, the US supported the government of Nationalist leader, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. It kept that support after the restart of the civil war following the Japanese surrender in 1945. Washington kept its backing up to the last months of the life of Chiang's regime in China. Chiang was a Christian (Time magazine called him "the Christian Warrior of China" and a staunch anti-Communist, great merits to the American eyes. Advantages? American policy makers saw him as an ally that was the best option for American interests in China and Asia, and he was a sure asset in the fight against communism. Disadvantages? That vision did not take into account the real balance of forces and circumstances in China, because the Communists were a powerful player not only in the war but in domestic politics; they enjoyed Soviet support. In 1949, Chiang and the remnants of his army had to run to the shelter of Taiwan. The US policy failed and there was a witch-hunt to find "who lost China" in diplomatic circles. Was there a possibility of a significant rapprochement with the Communists of Mao Zedong? There is no clear answer, but the perspectives of such outcome were rather grim at that time.