Office of the Historian

Editorial Note

The First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly met on January 22 from 3 to 6:25 p. m.; for the record, see United Nations document A/C.1/SR.429. Over the objections of the United States, the Committee voted (27 to 23, with 6 abstentions) to adjourn for 48 hours in order to consider a new communication from Peking transmitted via the Indian Government whose Ambassador had asked for an elaboration of certain points in the Chinese reply (A/C.1/653) to the principles set forth by the Cease-Fire Group. The nature of the Chinese reply, as given to the First Committee by the Indian Representative (Rau), is here printed from the summary record of the meeting of January 22:

  • “I. If the principle that all foreign troops should be withdrawn from Korea were accepted and put into practice, the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China would assume the responsibility of advising the Chinese volunteers to return to China.
  • “II. Measures for the conclusion of the war in Korea and the peaceful solution of the Korean problem could be carried out in two stages:

    “First: A cease-fire for a limited period could be agreed upon at the first meeting of the Seven-Nation Conference and put into effect so that negotiations could proceed further.

    “Second: In order that the war in Korea might be brought to an end completely and peace in the Far East assured, all conditions for the conclusion of hostilities would have to be discussed in connexion with the political problems, in order to reach agreement on the following points: Steps and measures for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Korea; proposals to the Korean people on the steps and measures to effect the settlement of the internal affairs of Korea by the Korean people themselves; withdrawal of United States armed forces from Taiwan and the Straits of Taiwan in accordance with the Cairo and Potsdam Declarations; other Far Eastern problems.

  • “III. The definite affirmation of the legitimate status of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations had to be ensured.”