Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Far East, China, Volume VII

761.93/7–945: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to President Truman and the Secretary of State

Moscow, July 9 [8?], 1945.

081750. The drafts of the three agreements handed Soong by Stalin referred to in my 081310^78a are briefed as follows:

(1) The text of “Treaty of Friendship, Mutual Assistance [and Alliance?] and Post War Collaboration” appears to follow the general lines of similar agreements made by the Soviet Union in Europe although it does not refer to any common enemy by name. If [sic] in the preamble it does however speak of a strengthening of friendship as serving “the cause of common struggle against the enemies of the United Nations”. In article 1 the “high contracting parties—undertake to afford one another military and other assistance of all kinds in the struggle against aggression on the part of enemies of the United Nations directed against the Soviet Union or China in this war”. This agreement is to remain in force for 20 years and to continue unless terminated by one year’s advance notice. In a separate cable⁷⁹ I will send a translation in paraphrase of the proposed text of this agreement.

(2) Proposed text of agreement on Port Arthur, Dairen and territories adjacent briefed as follows: For the implementation of the Treaty of Friendship contracting parties agree: (1) Administration of the Ports and Cities of Port Arthur and Dairen with the adjacent land and sea areas for their joint use is to be established. Such administration in no way infringes the sovereign rights of China in these territories. (2) The boundaries of the zone described in an annex. (3) Port Arthur should be exclusively a military port, for use only of Soviet and Chinese vessels and closed to military and commercial vessels of all other countries. The military port and city of Port Arthur should be under Soviet administration. (4) Port of Dairen will be open on an equal basis for the commercial vessels of all nations. One of the inner bays of this port will be reserved exclusively for the requirements of the Soviet and Chinese navies. (5) To ensure the security of the entire zone as described above the Soviet Government is given the right to keep in the zone its military, naval and air forces and will erect at its own expense installations necessary for such forces and for the zone’s defense. (6) Soviets undertake to establish and maintain lighthouses, etc., for navigation. (7) Administration of city of Dairen will be by a Board composed of five Soviets and five Chinese to be selected by mutual agreement between the Soviet and Chinese Governments. The Chairmanship of the Municipality is to be Soviet and the Deputy Chinese. The Chief Administration Officer of the Port should be Soviet. (8) Civilian administration in the zone outside of the two ports will be the responsibility of the Chinese. The principal appointments of this civilian administration are to be made by agreement between the Chinese Government and [the] Soviet Military Command. (9) The military command of the zone and responsibility for internal security are to be Soviet. The civilian administration must accept orders of the military command for the safeguarding of internal security. (10) The agreement will run for 40 years from date of signature.

(3) The proposed agreement concerning the Chinese Eastern and South Manchurian Railways in digest as follows: (1) Chinese Government agrees to restore Soviet Union’s rights in the Chinese Eastern Railway and the South Manchurian Railway on the whole extension of the latter between Changchun, Dairen and Port Arthur. These railroads with all of their properties are transferred to the Soviet Government including rolling stock, all buildings and structures, engine houses, industrial enterprises, work shops, stocks, lands, coal mines and timber operations. (2) The Soviet Government grants to the Chinese Government the right of participation in the management and exploitation of these railroads through the formation of a joint Sino-Soviet Company. The two Governments are to be participants in this company without right of transfer in whole or in part to other parties. (3) Management of the joint company should be entrusted to seven directors, four appointed by the Soviet Government and three by the Chinese. The Chairman of Board should be Soviet and the Vice Chairman Chinese. The Board of Directors will select a Russian as Manager and a Chinese as Assistant Manager. Majority vote of the Board of Directors will decide all questions. The Board of Directors shall meet in Harbin. (4) Profits and losses are to be divided equally. (5) A separate agreement shall be entered into under which the Chinese Government will undertake to ensure the necessary fuel for the railroads. (6) Personnel and employees as well as guards of the railroads are to be Soviet and Chinese citizens. (7) The operation under the joint company shall be for a term of 40 years. At the end of this period the two railroads are to be transferred to ownership of Chinese Government without compensation. (8) This article provides for a commission to be set up within 30 days of representatives of Soviet and Chinese Governments who shall work out a detailed agreement within a period of two months subject to the approval of the two governments. Chinese attitude regarding the subjects covered by the above-mentioned proposed agreements is as follows: (1) Soong has made no adverse comment on the Treaty of Friendship. (2) The Generalissimo is prepared to agree to joint use of Port Arthur by the Soviet Navy as well as the Chinese but to retain Chinese administration. Soong told me that he personally is prepared to give the Soviets the right of military defense and believes the Generalissimo can be induced to agree. As to Dairen the Generalissimo proposes that it would be a free port under Chinese administration giving the Soviets a lease on docks for merchant shipping (no naval bases) and full rights to import and export freely to and from Russia. (3) The Generalissimo considers that title to the railroads should rest in the Chinese Government, the operations to be conducted by a joint Sino-Soviet Company with mixed management under the direction of a Board of Directors of equal number of Chinese and Soviet. The term of these operations should be 20 years. It is interesting to note that Stalin explained to Soong that he wished 40 years’ agreement regarding the ports and railroads in order to give the Russians an opportunity to develop the Port of Petropavlovsk as an ice-free naval base and commercial port. At the end of that time the Soviet Government would renounce all interest in the railroads and ports in Manchuria. Stalin also described the proposed development of Sovietski [Sovietskaya] Gavan. Soong does not see why if Stalin is sincere 20 years is not long enough to develop Petropavlovsk.

[Harriman]

1. Supra.
79. Not printed.