793.00/2–651: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Penfield) to the Secretary of State
4303. 1. Following information passed EmbOff in strict confidence by China Desk FonOff.
According to message from British mission Peiping Panikkar, Indian Ambassador Peiping, was summoned to Chinese FonOff on February 3 by Chou, Chinese Communist FonMin, for discussion of Peiping’s broadcast of day before1 commenting on adoption by UN of US resolution condemning Chinese Communists as aggressors. Main points made by Chou were (a) US did not realize seriousness of what it had done (b) conflict now likely to spread and (c) as long as it is branded aggressor Peiping will have nothing to do with GOC.
2. General FonOff reaction seems to be Chou merely engaging in more propaganda in hope of widening rift between India and US. There is however underlying uneasiness that in this instance also (Embtel 1934 October 3 repeated Paris 559, New Delhi 46)2 Chou may really mean what he says, especially re (b): apparent failure Viet Minh offensive, concentration Communist troops along southern frontier, and relaxation of Chinese military pressure in Korea may point to more active Chinese participation in hostilities in Indochina.
Sent Department 4303, repeated info Paris 1439, New Delhi 137.
- See footnote 1, p. 154.↩
- For text, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. vii, p. 839; telegram 1934 had conveyed a warning from Chou En-lai that Chinese troops would enter North Korea if U.N. forces crossed the 38th parallel.↩