310.2/1–2551: Circular airgram
The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions 1
Within the next few months, the question of Chinese representation will undoubtedly arise in various UN and Specialized Agency bodies. In preparations for pending meetings, United States Representatives will be instructed to take the position described below. You are requested in your discretion to outline our views to the Foreign Office at an appropriate time indicating our hope that its delegates to the various UN and specialized agency bodies will be instructed along the same lines.
Except for (a) the GA itself (where the United States will strongly oppose the seating of the Chinese Communists) and (b) certain expert or quasi-expert bodies (where United States Members will take the position that a question of representation is beyond the competence of the body to decide), United States Representatives will be instructed to initiate or support proposals to the following effect: in view of the GA resolution of December 14, 1950 (described below), consideration of and action on any proposals to unseat representatives of the Chinese National Government or seat representatives of the Chinese Communist regime should be postponed until the General Assembly has taken action on the question of Chinese representation. (When the GA has taken further action, this position will be appropriately modified and you will be so informed.)
This position is based on the following considerations:
- (1)
- The General Assembly, on September 19, adopted a Canadian resolution which (a) established a Special Committee of seven Members to consider the question of Chinese representation and report with recommendations to the fifth Assembly session after the Assembly considered a Cuban agenda item regarding recognition by the United Nations of the representation of a Member State; and (b) provided that, pending a decision by the General Assembly on the report of the Special Committee, representatives of the Chinese National Government should be seated with the same rights as other representatives.
- 2.
- The agenda item on recognition by the United Nations of the representation of a Member State was exhaustively considered and on December 14, 1950 the General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending that (a) whenever more than one authority claims to be the government entitled to represent a Member State in the United Nations, and this question becomes the subject of controversy in the UN, it should be considered by the General Assembly (or by the Interim Committee if the GA is not in session) in the light of the Purposes and Principles of the Charter and the circumstances of each [Page 221] case; and (b) the attitude adopted by the General Assembly (or the Interim Committee) concerning such questions should be “taken into account” in other organs of the United Nations and in the specialized agencies.
- 3.
- The controversy as to the representation of China in the United Nations is still before the Fifth session of the General Assembly; (Although the GA’s Special Committee on Chinese representation has held one meeting (on December 15), it has taken no decision.)
- 4.
- Pending the Assembly’s decision, it would be unwise for other UN Organs or bodies of the specialized agencies to take any decision on the question of Chinese representation; and
- 5.
- Consideration of and action on any proposal to unseat representatives of the Chinese National Government or seat representatives of the Chinese Communist regime should therefore be postponed until the General Assembly has taken action.
You should stress in addition our view that representatives of the Chinese Communist regime should not be seated in any UN or specialized agency body while that regime is engaged in hostilities in Korea against the United Nations.
In the event that the procedural position outlined above is not adopted and the substance of the Chinese representation question is voted upon, United States Representatives will, of course, be instructed to oppose actively and vote against any proposal to unseat the representatives of the Chinese National Government or seat representatives of the Chinese Communist regime.
[Note to Missions in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo, Paris, London, The Hague, Stockholm: Action under this airgram would, of course, take into account discussions already held pursuant to Depcirgram of January 15 re Chinese representation in the UPU.]2