Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume XII, Part 2

793.00/2–2952: Telegram

No. 13
The Consul General at Hong Kong (McConaughy) to the Department of State¹

top secret

Hong Kong, February 29, 1952—8 p.m.

2551. Re Saigon’s 1541, Feb 4 to Dept. We agree US shld support and encourage guerrilla resistance in south Chi but believe we shld avoid trying to build up milit striking force in vulnerable neighboring country as Li Mi apparently attempting in Burma. Best solution of Li problem wld be for troops to infiltrate Yunnan mountains and set up small guerrilla bases which cld be supplied from outside. Yunnanese shld be sufficiently disillusioned with Commie control by now to welcome and assist troops properly trained for collaboration with local population. Unless Li can do this he likely to do more damage than good to cause of free world. Large-scale invasion of Yunnan from Burma seems to us highly impractical in foreseeable future.

Mcconaughy

1. Repeated to Saigon, London, Paris, Rangoon, New Delhi, Taipei, and Bangkok.