Free China Journal (Chinese: 自由中國半月刊) was a periodical sponsored by the Kuomintang that was published in Taiwan after the Kuomintang retreat following their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. The first issue appeared on 20 December 1949. The publisher was Hu Shih while the director and founder was Lei Chen, a member of the Kuomintang who was also close to Chiang Kai-shek. The publication was sponsored by the Kuomintang-led government to act as a forum for free thought and discussion against the People's Republic of China. Its popularity soared as the editors and writers analyzed political situations at the time, sometimes even advising or criticizing the government in earnest.