Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume XII, Part 1

S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351, NSC 5429 Series

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Secretary of State¹

top secret

[Washington,] December 20, 1954.

Subject:

• Briefing on NSC 5429/4.

I have the following comments on 5429/4:

• Paragraph 4e²—The term “political and social forces” is so vague as to convey no meaning in terms of concrete programs or action, yet broad enough to provide justification for almost any activity. It would seem that the sum total of courses of action called for by the rest of the paper should produce the result called for by this single section so that inclusion of this section is unnecessary.

• Paragraph 5 c—1. In the final sentence of this section, it is considered an undesirable reversal of policy to commit the U.S. Government to restrain the Chinese Nationalists from interference with seaborne commerce with Communist China, and the Department should, therefore, insist that the words “or seaborne commerce with Communist China” be eliminated.

  2. The final sentence also makes no provision for self-defense or retaliation in an emergency. A final sentence should be added as follows: “Continue to encourage the Chinese Nationalists forces to take adequate self-defense measures.”

• Paragraph 7c—What is called here the “majority proposal” was an effort in the Planning Board to express a consensus. Certain portions of it are objectionable to some agencies (for example, c(3) is not agreed). The State proposal allows more flexibility and places the responsibility for determination for a change in foreign policy on the Secretary of State as the President’s principal adviser on foreign policy. In order to meet what may be Defense Department fears that the State language will be used to whittle down the sanctions policy, it is suggested that the following changes in the State proposal might be put forward: c(1) following “Communist China and” insert “without derogating from the basic principles of these controls,” and change the following words “administer these controls” to “administer them”; c(2) strike the second sentence and replace it with, “In aid of this effort, the U.S. should, without frustrating the multilateral embargo program, handle questions of routine exceptions in such manner as to preserve and foster the willingness of other countries to retain present control.”
• Paragraph 7d (2) The words “or seaborne commerce with Communist China” should be eliminated from this section.
• Paragraph 9³—FE does not believe that the possibility now exists for negotiating with Communist China “acceptable and enforcible agreements” and feels, therefore, that it is misleading to state that we must “keep open” such a possibility. FE recommends therefore, that the words “Communist China” should be deleted from this paragraph.

1. Drafted by Roberts and Mewshaw.
2. This subparagraph reads as follows: “Creation in Asia of political and social forces which will zealously spread the greater values of the Free World and simultaneously expose the falsity of the Communist ideological offensive.”
3. This paragraph reads as follows: “The United States must keep open the possibility of negotiating with the USSR and Communist China acceptable and enforceable agreements, whether limited to individual issues now outstanding or involving a general settlement of major issues.”