The “special relationship,” and the overseas Chinese: the Information Research Department (IRD) and the United States Information Agency (USIA) cold war partnership in East Asia, 1950s-1970s

Rawcliffe, Dalton

Abstract

From the 1950s to the 1970s, Britain’s strategic role in the Cold War in East and Southeast Asia shaped the post-WWII contours and ramifications of what Winston Churchill famously dubbed the Anglo-American ‘special relationship’. Through its clandestine Information Research Department (IRD), Britain targeted anti-communist propaganda, focusing on neutral nations and the overseas Chinese communities. The IRD assessed communist influence among emigrant Chinese communities along with their views of the United States. The IRD served to support American goals while bolstering Britain’s regional influence. Despite occasional divergences, the IRD and the United States Information Agency (USIA) coordinated efforts to counter communist expansion, reflecting the adaptability of their ‘special relationship’.

Citation

Rawcliffe, D. (2025). The “special relationship,” and the overseas Chinese: the Information Research Department (IRD) and the United States Information Agency (USIA) cold war partnership in East Asia, 1950s-1970s. Intelligence and National Security, 40(1), 129-150. https://doi.org/10.1080/02684527.2024.2433823

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 19, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 4, 2024
• Publication Date: 2025
• Deposit Date: Dec 4, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 5, 2024
• Journal: Intelligence and National Security
• Print ISSN: 0268-4527
• Electronic ISSN: 1743-9019
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 129-150
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02684527.2024.2433823
• Keywords: IRD; USIA; Cold War; Overseas Chinese; propaganda; 'special relationship'; Asia
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/42815901
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02684527.2024.2433823#abstract
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=fint20; Received: 2024-08-31; Accepted: 2024-11-19; Published: 2024-12-04