Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VIII, Public Diplomacy, 1969–1972

143. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Brown) to the Acting Director of the United States Information Agency (White)¹

Washington, July 27, 1971

SUBJECT

• Tibetan Film “Man From A Missing Country”

This is a very poignant moving film, technically one of the finest I’ve seen in the USIA series. On policy grounds, however, I have serious misgivings as to whether it should be released at a time when we have entered a new stage in our relationship with the PRC.²

a. The poignancy of the film arouses not only deep sympathy for the plight of the Tibetans but also revulsion against the Chinese for the brutality with which they tightened their grip on Tibet, oppressed its people, and suppressed its culture. While we do not want to appear as having gone “soft” on Chinese Communism neither do we want to appear anti-Chinese or anti-Peking.

b. The effect of the narration, indeed the total effect of the film is to portray Tibet as having been an independent country, a nation whose sovereignty was violated by the Chinese. This is the line taken by the Dalai Lama (clipping enclosed),³ but our Government, as noted by Cordell Hull in 1941, has never recognized the independence of Tibet. Rather, we have consistently held that Tibet is an autonomous area under Chinese sovereignty (a claim on which Taipei and Peking agree). This coincides with the position of the Government of India which affords the Dalai Lama safe haven in exile, but does not recognize his government.

c. To the best of our knowledge the film represents a new departure. We are unaware that such a film has been done in the past several years. Its appearance at this juncture therefore might well be interpreted by Peking as a new signal of basic hostility, of American challenge to Peking’s claims regarding China’s territorial integrity, of long-term support for the Tibetans’ desire to “liberate” Tibet from Chinese control. These are not the signals which we wish to project. Rather we must work within the spirit of Dr. Kissinger’s July 16 backgrounder remark:

“I am certain that neither of us will knowingly do something that would undermine the prospects of something that it took so long to prepare and that it took such painful decisions to reach.”⁴

Winthrop G. Brown⁵

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 294, Agency Files, USIA—Vol. III—1971 [Jan–Dec 1971] [1 of 2]. Confidential. Eliot sent the memorandum to Kissinger under an August 19 memorandum, writing: “It is true that in view of the continued anti-American propaganda emerging from Peking, release of this film might be argued to be only a reasonable ‘tit for tat.’ However, the Department believes its release could not improve the prospects for success of the President’s visit and it might do real harm.” (Ibid.)
2. Presumable reference to various actions undertaken by the administration in 1971 vis a vis the U.S.–PRC relationship. On April 14, 1971, Nixon announced that the United States was prepared to expedite visas for PRC citizens to visit the United States and relax currency controls, in addition to several other measures. For his statement on the changes in trade and travel restrictions, see Public Papers: Nixon, 1971, pp. 530–531. Additionally, Kissinger made a secret trip to Beijing and met with Chinese leaders July 9–11, as part of larger worldwide trip. During the visit, plans were made for Nixon to visit China. For the records of these meetings, see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. XVII, China, 1969–1972, Documents 139–144, and ibid., vol. E–13, Documents on China, 1969–1972, Documents 7–9. For the announcement of the President’s acceptance of the invitation, which he made during his July 15 address to the nation, broadcast live on radio and television, see Public Papers: Nixon, 1971, pp. 819–820.
3. Not attached or further identified.
4. Background briefing given by Kissinger and Ziegler on the morning of July 16 at San Clemente. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Office Files, Box 86, Country Files—East Asia, U.S. China Policy, 1969–1972)
5. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.