893.00/14756
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 21.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose, as a matter of record and as of probable interest to the Department, a copy in translation of the speech19 made by Dr. Quo Tai-chi on the occasion of his induction as Minister for Foreign Affairs at the weekly meeting of the Central Kuomintang Headquarters at Chungking on June 30, 1941.
Dr. Quo, it will be observed, reaffirms the Chinese policy of “resisting aggression to the last so as to achieve national freedom and equality and to uphold international law and order”. In this address he reiterates the statement which he is reported to have made on arrival in Kunming and Chungking, namely, that the “international situation has been clarified”. He points out that the world has now been divided into an “anti-aggression bloc” composed of the United States, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union and an “aggression bloc” comprised of the Axis Powers; and he adds that the friendly powers now recognize China’s role as the “vanguard of anti-aggression and the pillar of the forces maintaining world order and international law”. He notes the increasing aid that China is receiving from friendly Powers and says that this “augurs well for world peace and the future of our resistance”. Dr. Quo, in referring to his recent exchange [Page 525] of notes with the Secretary of State,20 asserted that these had “laid the foundation for China’s equality in the community of nations”; and he went on to point out that such an achievement is attributable to the leadership of the Generalissimo, the heroism of China’s soldiers and the spirit of sacrifice of the masses.
Dr. Quo’s statement indicates that China’s policy remains unchanged; that he will pursue the policy of his predecessor. It is also evident that Dr. Quo feels that the objective that China has sought since the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese conflict—collaboration with and concrete assistance from the Powers resisting aggression and the upset of the status quo—is near fruition.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩
- Dated May 26 and 31, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, pp. 927–930.↩