李宗仁在美申请政治避难及美方之应对

Li Zongren's Application for Asylum in the United States and the US's Response

1949年底李宗仁以"代总统"身份赴美就医,实为争取美国对固守海南岛的军事援助,终因形势变化滞留美国长达16年。在美初期,其一方面以"中华民国代总统"自居,高调质疑蒋介石"复职"的合法性;另一方面又通过私人顾问甘介侯悄悄向美申请政治避难,希望获得长期居留美国的适当身份。美国国务院为处理李宗仁的政治避难申请头疼不已,与之多次交涉,采取既不驱逐出境,也不接受其避难请求的应对策略,继续给予其外国政要的礼貌和特权。李宗仁直到1954年3月被罢免"副总统"职务丧失政治地位后,始获得"难民"身份居留美国,后于1965年7月返回大陆。

By the end of 1949 Li Zongren went to the United States for medical treatment in the name of the ＂acting presi- dent＂. In fact, his real purpose was to gain the U.S. military assistance for the defense of Hainan Island, but eventually he had to stay in the US for as long as 16 years because of the changing situation. In his early days in the United States Li Zon- gren, regarding himself as the ＂acting president of the Republic of China＂, tried to question in a high profile the legitimacy of Jiang Jiesbi＇s reinstatement. On the other hand, he quietly applied to the United States for political asylum through his private consultant Gan Jiehou in the hope of obtaining appropriate long-term residence. The U. S. State Department felt extremely em- barrassed about his request and held repeated negotiations with him. Eventually, they decided to neither deport him nor accept his request for asylum, promising to continue to give him politeness and privilege deserved as a foreign dignitary. It was not until March, 1954 when he was recalled and thus lost his political status that he won the ＂refugee＂ status and was permitted to stay in the United States. In July, 1965 he returned to the mainland.