310.2/8–2052: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Department of State
164. Re membership. Advance consultations were held today with Tsiang (China). Gross presented US views contained Deptel 77 Aug 15 with particular emphasis on desirability SC voting separately on Japan (and also Associated States membership if French so request) prior to voting on Soviet omnibus res.
Tsiang said his instructions re Soviet omnibus res are unchanged, namely, to oppose it. He added that membership of “Mongolian People’s Republic” would be particularly obnoxious to his govt and membership of Soviet satellites in Balkans only a little less so. He intends to make effort to have Soviet omnibus res voted on state by state. As respects giving priority to Japan (and possibly AS) membership over Soviet omnibus res, Tsiang was doubtful. He thought that Rule 32 of rules of procedure would make this very difficult. He agreed as to importance of Japan membership being given every assistance but thought that if vote on Japan membership given priority, USSR might then propose amendment to omnibus res to include Japan and with SC voting down omnibus res it would be difficult for friendly powers to explain to Japan, just as it was difficult for them to explain to Italy last year, why friendly powers had voted against Japan membership. Tsiang preferred to withhold question of Japan membership until after omnibus res voted down and then at next SC meeting to raise it in form of separate res.
As respects meeting on membership tomorrow of five permanent SC members, Tsiang thought it would be wise to limit ourselves to probing Malik for whatever instructions he may have re Japan, AS, ROK, Germany, Spain and other pending membership applications and to avoid giving Malik any clues as to tactics we may follow re these applications.