501.BB/8–3049
Memorandum Prepared in the Division of Chinese Affairs 1
Problem: Attitude toward the Chinese Government’s Proposed Appeal to the United Nations regarding Soviet Violations of the Sino-Soviet Treaty.
[Page 156]Background: Through the United States Delegation to the United Nations at New York, the Minister-Counselor at Canton and the Department, the Chinese Government has recently sought to obtain an expression of the U. S. Government’s attitude toward the Chinese Government’s proposal to make an appeal to the United Nations regarding Soviet violations of the Sino-Soviet Treaty. The Chinese Government has indicated that its final decision in this regard would probably depend upon the attitude of the friendly powers, particularly the United States, and that it would probably appeal to the General Assembly on the grounds of Soviet violations of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of August 1945 rather than to the Security Council on the basis that Soviet actions constituted a threat to the peace. Dr. T. F. Tsiang, Chinese representative on the Security Council, has indicated in strict confidence to a member of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations that the ultimate objectives of the Chinese Government in bringing the case before the United Nations were: (1) The General Assembly should find that the USSR has violated the treaty; (2) The General Assembly should recommend that member states abstain from recognizing the Chinese Communist regime; and (3) the General Assembly should recommend that member states give moral and material aid to the National Government.
The Chinese representatives have indicated that they have also approached the British and French Governments with a view to ascertaining their views on this subject.
One possible by-product of a Chinese Government appeal to the United Nations might be a Soviet demand that the Chinese Communists send representatives to be heard by the United Nations, thus enhancing the prestige and international position of the Chinese Communists. A Chinese appeal, accompanied by full publicity, would offer certain propaganda advantages through the opportunity afforded to air Soviet imperialist aims and the special Soviet position in Manchuria in impairment of Chinese sovereignty. On the other hand the Soviets could be expected to make whatever propaganda use they could in the course of debate. If the United Nations passed a resolution of censure against the USSR or took action which might serve as a basis for Chinese Government unilateral abrogation of the Sino-Soviet Treaty, the Chinese Communists would be faced with the necessity of negotiating a new treaty or else giving public sanction to the existing treaty, thus placing on them the onus for concessions in Manchuria to the USSR in impairment of Chinese sovereignty. This would have obvious propaganda advantages among the Chinese people in exposing Chinese Communist subservience to Russian imperialist aims in China.
In view of the Chinese objectives indicated above, it is believed that the U.S. Government should be cautious in its approach to this problem [Page 157] lest the Chinese Government utilize U.S. support for its appeal in such a manner that the U.S. might become committed to action contrary to its own interests or to action which, while advantageous to the Chinese Government, would serve the interests of the USSR and/or the Chinese Communists. Complete realization of the Chinese Government’s objectives would appear to deprive the U.S. Government of freedom of action, and the essential advantage to be derived from a Chinese appeal to the United Nations would, from the standpoint of the United States, be solely that of a finding that the USSR has violated the Sino-Soviet Treaty.
Action Taken: The Department has informed the Chinese Ambassador, and has authorized the Minister-Counselor at Canton and the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations to inform the Chinese, that the Department was sympathetic to the Chinese Government’s desire to appeal to the United Nations and assured its support in principle, but that the degree of U.S. support would naturally depend upon the extent to which the Chinese Government could develop an effective case and that the U.S. Government could not commit itself to unqualified support without more complete knowledge of the nature and supporting evidence of the Chinese Government’s case. The Department has also instructed the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations to ascertain the views of the British and French Governments to the proposed Chinese appeal.
Recommendations: It is recommended that:
- (a)
- The British Government be informed of the Department’s views regarding the proposed Chinese appeal to the United Nations;
- (b)
- The views of the British Government on this question be obtained;
- (c)
- Efforts be made to obtain British agreement to support the Chinese appeal to the United Nations, but only to the extent necessary to throw the full light of publicity on Soviet actions, care being taken not to commit the U.S. Government to support of the Chinese case in such a way that Chinese aims would be served but not those of the United States.
- Forwarded by Mr. Merchant on August 31 to the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Rusk) for approval, “in view of the considerations of high policy”; copies transmitted to other interested officers of the Department.↩