Editorial Note
The First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly met on the morning of November 24 to take up the question of the “Complaint by the U.S.S.R. regarding aggression against China by the United States of America.” For the record of the meeting, see U.N. document A/C.1/SR.405. The Soviet Representative introduced a draft resolution (A/C.1/630) inviting a representative of the People’s Republic of China to attend the sessions dealing with this item. Debate continued into the afternoon session of the First Committee on November 24; see U.N. document A/C.1/SR.406. Ultimately, after voting down a Chilean amendment (A/C.1/635 and Corr.1) which would have made clear that any invitation to a representative of the People’s Republic of China in no way prejudged the general question of Chinese representation in the United Nations, the First Committee approved the Soviet resolution by a vote of 30 to 8, with 22 abstentions (including the United States).
The People’s Republic of China was informed of the invitation by the United Nations Secretary-General on November 24 and responded on November 26 by appointing General Wu Hsiu-chuan as its representative in the First Committee meetings (U.N. document A/C.1/636).
On November 27, the Committee resumed debate, with the People’s [Page 581] Republic of China delegation entering during the meeting, and heard a long statement by the Soviet Representative condemning United States policy in regard to Formosa and charging attacks by the United States against mainland China, particularly Manchuria. Mr. Dulles responded for the United States, after which the meeting rose (A/C.1/SR.407).
The Committee did not sit again until December 7, at which time it voted to suspend debate on this item in favor of discussion on the question of “Intervention of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China in Korea;” for documentation, see volume VII, pages 1237 ff. The representative of the People’s Republic of China then released a statement prepared for delivery in the First Committee, the text of which is printed in U.N. document A/C.1/661. No further discussion took place during 1950 on the question of the “Complaint by the U.S.S.R. regarding aggression against China by the United States of America.”
Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council at its 525th–530th meetings, from November 27 to November 30, had taken up simultaneously the questions of “Complaint of armed invasion of Taiwan (Formosa)” and “Complaint of aggression upon the Republic of Korea;” for documentation, see volume VII, pages 1235 ff. These were the final Security Council meetings for 1950.