761.9327/9–2748: Telegram
The Ambassador in China ( Stuart ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:22 p. m.]
1773. Dr. Andrew Lin of Ministry of Communications has confirmed to Embassy statement which he, as spokesman, made to local press, re Sino-Soviet air agreement (reEmbtel 1765, September 25, repeated Shanghai as 852).
Lin stated that impending renegotiation this agreement had no relation to stoppage military airplane at Lanchow en route to Tihwa last month (see Deptel 1299, September 11). By devious and highly speculative circumlocution, Lin implied that “possible reason for stopping plane which may have occurred to some Chinese official in authority [Page 747] was that presence of Americans flying into Tihwa might complicate Chinese, relations with Soviets.
Sent Department 1773; repeated Shanghai 863.