Office of the Historian

711.93/5–349: Telegram

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

Nanking, May 3, 1949—2 p. m.
[Received 4:51 a. m.]

921. Chinese Communists have lost no opportunities in emphasizing lack of recognition and official relations between USA and themselves. This is by now hackneyed excuse given for treatment as private persons our consular officers North China. While to date they have been consistently vague in what there is for us to recognize, we may expect concrete developments in formation of government of national character as authority territory National Government diminishes. There is strong feeling arrogance manifested CCP attitude result easy military conquest which contribute to their belief that it is established nations of world which are on trial rather than Communist China in upcoming question recognition. (See my 900, April 29, repeated Canton 32 [332]). I am convinced our tactics should therefore be one of reserve, waiting for new regime to make first approach. We can afford to wait. For tactical reasons I would consider it unwise for us to initiate any move toward recognition new national regime. On this point I agree with Clark24 rather than Cabot (see [Page 15] Shanghai’s 1389, April 27 to Department,25 repeated Nanking 798, Canton 346, and Cantel 296, April 29,26 repeated Shanghai 186).

To be effective we must have support of at least North Atlantic community. Governments represented therein, and particularly those of Commonwealth, should not be permitted to jump the gun for temporary apparent commercial political gains which CCP may well attempt to dangle. Chinese have long successfully employed through weakness policy of playing off one foreign power against another. It cannot be to advantage of any Western states to permit Chinese Communists succeed similar tactics against US now. I shall be glad to take whatever steps here Department may consider appropriate but I feel effective persuasion regarding advantages strict united front vis-à-vis new Chinese regime can best be made in Washington, London, Paris, Rome, etc.

Department please pass this telegram to North Atlantic community capitals in its discretion.27

Sent Department, repeated OffEmb Canton 341, Shanghai 490.

Stuart
  1. Lewis Clark, Minister-Counselor of Embassy in China at Canton.↩
  2. Post, p. 1251.↩
  3. Post, p. 934.↩
  4. Repeated in a circular telegram of May 3, 5 a.m., to Embassies in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, and Australia.↩