Imperium in Imperio: GI Joe’s Jurisdiction in Early Cold War Taiwan

The presence of American GIs in Cold War Taiwan was a double-edged sword for Chiang Kai-shek’s Chinese Nationalist government. He needed American military aid to sustain his regime, so he granted American GIs diplomatic immunity. This posed a challenge, however, as it evoked memories of extraterritoriality that contradicted the official historical narrative and thus undermined the regime’s attempt to transform Taiwan’s population into Chinese citizens. This embarrassing situation forced Chiang to initiate negotiations with the U.S. This paper demonstrates that the negotiations resulted in a win-win outcome. The U.S. maintained partial jurisdiction, while the KMT struck a balance between its relationship with the U.S. and its governance over Taiwan.