740.00119 Council/1–1547
The Secretary of State to the Chinese Foreign Minister ( Wang )17
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of January 14, 194718 which was transmitted to me by the Chinese Ambassador in Washington in a note of January 15, 1947 and in which you set forth the views of the Chinese Government concerning matters of procedure relating to the peace settlements for Germany and Austria and concerning the scope of subjects to be considered at the forthcoming meeting at Moscow of the Foreign Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom, France and this country. You stated that you were sending identical notes to the Foreign Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and France.
Careful and sympathetic consideration has been given to the views expressed in your note. Without attempting to discuss in detail all the points contained therein, I may state that, as your Excellency is of course aware, this Government favored the inclusion of China among the sponsoring Powers for the conference which considered the peace settlements with Italy, the Balkan States and Finland in Paris last year, and this Government also favors the inclusion of China as a sponsoring Power for the conference to consider the peace settlements with Germany and Austria.
With regard to the forthcoming meeting at Moscow of the Foreign Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom, France and this country, that meeting has been called for the consideration of German and Austrian problems, and the agenda as now agreed upon is limited to such matters.
If, in preparation for or in connection with the forthcoming meeting at Moscow, there should take place any discussions on the matters referred to in your note among representatives of this Government and other Governments, the representatives of this Government will not fail to bear in mind the views set forth in your note.