693.0023/8–2347: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received 12:07 p.m.]
1777. Director Treaty Dept., FonOff (Hu Ching-yu) has confirmed to Embassy that Chinese Govt has officially declared port of Dairen closed to foreign shipping (reEmbtel 1763, August 2086).
First reason director mentioned was that as Chinese ships were not able to enter Dairen, consistency and logic required that no foreign ships should enter there without prior permission Chinese Govt. Henceforth, ships entering Dairen without such permission will be considered to have violated Chinese law.
Second reason given concerned ships calling at Dairen and subsequently entering other Chinese ports, specifically Shanghai. The Chinese Govt previously has objected to such movement (by Soviet ships) in a few cases on grounds such ships engaging in coast-wise trade in China, a trade reserved by law to Chinese vessels. Soviet ships desiring enter other Chinese ports just subsequent to stop at Dairen will now be classed as illegally operated according to Dr. Hu, and having violated the new regulation, could be barred from other ports in China. It was not positively stated, nor could it be ascertained, [Page 537] whether Chinese Govt prepared actually to prohibit and also prevent vessels thus classified from entering Shanghai or other Chinese ports open to foreign shipping.
Director stressed that this new regulation was a Sino-Soviet matter which “could only be of academic interest” to other parties. He was thereupon reminded of the Dept’s deep interest in the Dairen situation as a whole, and of the several instances in which the US has recently made its interest manifest. Dr. Hu then admitted an extensive US concern and agreed to forward Embassy text of order closing the port to foreign ships.
- Not printed.↩