893.00/10–3046: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 30—9:25 a.m.]
1768. On October 21 British Embassy, under instructions from London, informed Chinese Govt that its request for sale of 100 million rounds of 7.92 millimeter ammunition had been denied. This Chinese request followed contract made June 1946 for 50 million rounds of .303 ammunition for use of Chinese troops which the British trained and equipped in Fukien during the war. It was supplied from stocks in India and was loaded ready for shipment on September 15.
British Foreign Office instructions to British Embassy state for its information that under no circumstances would the British Govt undertake unilaterally further sale of ammunition to China and that in any other arrangement the British Govt would probably prefer to take no part.
[Page 765]British Govt’s refusal apparently came as no surprise to Chinese Govt since the Chinese official to whom it was communicated prefaced the conversation by saying: “I suppose you have come to tell me that the answer is no”. According to British Embassy, he went on to say that requested supplies were no longer needed inasmuch as the situation here had completely changed since request was made and Govt’s position was such that, unless Communists were willing to settle by negotiation, Govt’s armies would have made sufficient progress within the next 2 or 3 months so that it would no longer be possible to speak of a Communist menace.