Chiang was dealing with a divided country of Nationalists, Communists and third-party warlords. Plus the Japanese invaders
He may have lacked Mao’s charisma
And the Nationalists were not as brutally well organized as the Communists
But they were the better choice longterm for the Chinese people
Were they, though?
Mao turned China into a world power and economic powerhouse. Chiang spent most of his time living off the largess of his American masters.
Western diplomats called him, "Cash My Check".