Office of the Historian

793.00/7–2850: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State

secret
priority
London, July 28, 1950—6 p. m.
[Received July 28—3:25 p. m.]

622. Foreign Office has shown Embassy Office text of telegram dated July 25 from Peiping reading substantially as follows:

1.
During long tête-à-tête on July 21, Chou En-lai1 made it quite clear to Panikkar that Chinese had every intention of avoiding implication in present hostilities unless forced on them.2
2.
Chou injected in conversation a tentative suggestion that India, Pakistan, Burma and Indonesia might make some sort of joint statement perhaps along with China that they, as recently established political entities primarily concerned in consolidation of internal social and economic structure, desired preventing if possible spread of hostilities, particularly into territories under their control.
3.
Panikkar, in informing Hutchison3 of above, stated he responded to Chou by pointing out nations mentioned had already made their views quite clear. He does not anticipate that the suggestion, tentatively mooted by Chou, will be pursued.

Douglas
  1. Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China.↩

  2. At 9:23 a. m. on July 28, the Department of State had received the following message in telegram 218 from New Delhi:

    “Acting British High Commissioner Roberts states he has received telegram from British Chargé Peiping which reported Chargé had been told by Panikkar that Chou En-lai during course of dinner with him stated frankly that Peiping had no desire to see hostilities in Korea extended beyond their present scope”(795B.00/7–2850)

    ↩
  3. John Hutchison, British Chargé in the People’s Republic of China.↩