Office of the Historian

711.9327/8–246: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State

Nanking, August 2, 1946—9 a.m.
[Received August 2—7:40 a.m.]

1240. During course of conversation Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs7 referred to Embassy’s note based on Deptel 302, July 298 announcing renunciation of air transport agreement. Dr. Liu Chieh had been a delegate to Chicago meeting and indicated that Chinese delegation, under instructions from its Government, had followed there the US lead. He went on to say that his Government was now attempting to formulate a policy of its own with respect to civil aviation and asked for background information respecting this act of denunciation and our current general policy.

Dr. Liu Chieh said that China still desired to work in consonance with US on aviation matters and told me in confidence that British had recently presented a draft bilateral agreement. He recalled that at Chicago there had been mailed [sic] out a standard form of agreement9 and he asked for copy of printed pamphlet entitled Internation[al] [Page 1230] Aviation Agreement,10 the FonOff having lost theirs. This Embassy has supplied [it]. Dr. Liu Chieh inferred that Chinese Government would be willing to negotiate an agreement with the US but at same time emphasized embarrassment which a most-favored-nation clause would cause them in terms of Russia; on other hand Russia had not been party to agreements reached in Chicago.

Embassy would appreciate receiving as soon as possible information to be passed on to Vice Minister.

Has Dept considered appointment of a civil air attaché? Amount of current work and future importance of China to US in aviation calls for one.

Stuart
  1. Liu Chieh.↩
  2. See telegram No. 578, infra. ↩
  3. For text of form of standard agreement for provisional air routes, see Department of State Conference Series No. 64: International Civil Aviation Conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 1 to December 7, 1944, Final Act and Related Documents, p. 39.↩
  4. For text of convention between the United States of America and other Governments, Formulated at Chicago December 7, 1944, see Department of State Treaties and Other International Acts Series (T.I.A.S.), No. 1591, or 61 Stat. (pt. 2) 1180.↩