55. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson)0
As we agreed, I talked to Ambassador Yeh this afternoon. I found him extraordinarily understanding and clear about the issues. I began by emphasizing to him the President’s letter1 represented not only the views of the Department of State, but the most careful and considered judgment of the President himself. He took the point.
We then turned to what we might be able to get in return if in fact his government should decide not to veto, and there ensued the discussion which I reported to you on the telephone. On the basis of that telephone conversation, I have made it plain to Ambassador Yeh that if, in fact, his government can give us private assurance that it will not veto Outer Mongolia, we will be glad to join with the Republic of China in attempting to get maximum support for our position on Chinese representation from French-African states. Ambassador Yeh particularly emphasized his hope that in this politicking we could point out that this is a case of Soviet blackmail and that while we are prepared to be helpful in this case, French-African states ought not to get in the habit of putting heat on us on the Chinese representation issue every time the Soviets put the heat on them.
Ambassador Yeh pointed out to me that it might be reassuring to his government if it could hear the same noise from Ambassador Drumright that he was hearing from me, and accordingly I suggest that it may be useful for you to send a dispatch to Drumright, in whatever form you think right, to back up what seems to me to have been a fruitful conversation.2 Ambassador Yeh told me that it was his private impression that President Chiang has not yet made up his mind but will do so in the next two or three days. Yeh is most anxious that his own strong support for a change in his government’s position should not be reported in any way to Taipei, and therefore I hope your dispatch to Drumright may avoid reference to my conversation with Yeh.
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, China. Secret.↩
- See footnote 3, Document 54.↩
- Telegram 129 to Taipei, August 23, instructed Drumright to tell the Foreign Minister that if the GRC would give private assurances that it would refrain from vetoing Outer Mongolian membership, the United States would approach African states and in return for this GRC concession, solicit their support for the U.S. position on Chinese representation. (Department of State, Central Files, 303/8-2361)↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩