310/4–2053
Memorandum of Conversation, by the United Nations Adviser, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs (Bacon)
- Subject:
- Chinese Request for United States Support with Regard to Various United Nations Bodies.
Mr. Tsui called at his request under instruction to ask for United States support for China in connection with the following matters:
1)China’s Candidate for the International Law Commission. China has decided to renominate their present representative on the International Law Commission, Dr. Shuhsi Hsu. The election will take place at the next General Assembly. Mr. Tsui gave me the attached biography of Dr. Hsu.1
2) Chinese Budgetary Proposals in WHO. Mr. Tsui left with me copies of the attached documents.2 He explained that the first document which is now entitled “Communication from the Republic of [Page 636] China” should have been entitled “Letter from the Chinese Foreign Minister to the Head of the World Health Assembly.” Mr. Tsui referred to a resolution on China’s budgetary situation with respect to WHO which was adopted by the Executive Board of WHO in January 1953. The resolution recommends that the World Health Assembly retain China’s formal assessment at 720 units but that a token assessment be accepted from China for 1954 and until such time as China’s financial condition improves; that a token payment of $15,000 be applied to the arrearages owed by China to the organization for 1953 and prior years and that the balance of China’s arrearages for the years prior to 1954 shall be subject to future arrangements at such time as China’s financial condition improves.
Mr. Tsui said that this resolution was very close to the proposal which China had made. If possible, however, China would like to have its token assessment placed at 14 units or about $10,000 and would also like to have a provision which would make possible the acceptance of payment in Philippine currency or some currency other than U.S.
3) Chinese Representation Question in the Administrative Council of the ITU. Mr. Tsui said that that Administrative Council of the ITU is to meet in Geneva on May 2 and it is anticipated that the Chinese representation question will arise. According to Chinese estimates an effort to unseat the Nationalists should be defeated by a vote of about 11 to 7.
4) Chinese Candidates for the Fiscal Commission and the Social Commission. China is now a member of both the Fiscal and Social Commissions and plans to run for re-election to both bodies. The election is to take place at the ECOSOC meeting which convenes June 30.
5) Chinese Representation Question in the Executive and Liaison Committee of the UPU. The Executive and Liaison Committee of the UPU is to convene in May at Bern, Switzerland. China is not at present a member having failed of re-election last year. If the Soviet bloc should nonetheless bring up the Chinese representation question the Chinese Government estimates that support for the National Government in the Committee at the present time should result in a vote of about 13 to 7 in China’s favor. The Chinese Government does not actually expect that the Soviet bloc would attempt to raise the issue in some manner but because of the remote possibility that some such move might be made is taking the precaution of bringing the matter to the U.S. Government’s attention.
I told Mr. Tsui that I would bring the Chinese Government’s request for United States support in connection with the above matters to the attention of the appropriate officers in the Department and would let him know as soon as possible concerning the United States Government’s position. I added that, of course, our position of support of China on the Chinese representation question was well known.