310.2/7–1454: Telegram
The Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Wadsworth) to the Department of State
38. Re Chinese representation. Tsiang (China) raised with Ross today question of cooperation between two delegates in handling Chinese representation issue. He is not too much concerned re resumed session, but raised following points with reference to 9th GA:
- 1.
- Under the rules and past practice, outgoing president (in this case Madame Pandit) nominates credentials committee, although secretariat plays a susbtantial role in consultation with principal delegates in making up list of nominees. Tsiang stressed crucial importance of acceptable list of nominees at 9th session. He is mistrustful of Pandit and he is aware of disadvantages of any challenge of undesirable list of nominees she might propose.
- 2.
- Tsiang felt that postponement formula adopted at 8th session (only until end of calendar year 1953) was retrogressive compared with formula on previous occasions. He pressed quite strongly for idea of voting down any Soviet or India substantive proposal to unseat nationalist representatives or seat Communist representatives. He asked whether we could not persuade UK at least to abstain if such substantive proposal were pressed to vote. He said they could explain their abstention (or negative vote) on grounds stated by Churchill on Monday. Tsiang has made analysis of past voting in UN on Chinese representation issue and will provide us with copy thereof. He is aware that vote on substantive issue would probably not be as favorable as vote on postponement. He is also aware that public generally would be more conscious of size of vote than precise formulation on which vote was taken. He feels we are probably best judges of psychological and political effects of smaller vote on substantive issue. It is our impression that Tsiang is under instruction to press for vote on substantive issue but he at least does not seem strongly convinced this is best way of handling matter.
- 3.
-
Tsiang is under
instruction to lobby actively with all delegates. He asked our
active help with following two lists:
- a.
- Ethiopia, Liberia, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Yemen;
- b.
- Afghanistan, Denmark, Israel, Netherlands, Pakistan, Iceland, Norway, Sweden.
The first list (a) represents countries more or less favorably inclined but with whom he has no contact. The second list (b) represents countries which recognize Chinese Communists and with whom he does not feel he would have any influence. Tsiang also expressed a certain amount of confidence in support of Egypt and Iraq but he is worried concerning other Arabs. He thought that two or three of our Latin friends (e.g. Brazil) might be very helpful in enlisting support of these other Arabs.
[Page 743]Tsiang was assured that we wanted to work very closely and cooperatively with him. Any comments or instructions Department may have concerning foregoing would be appreciated.