611.93/3–1953
No. 53
Memorandum of Conversation, by the
Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs
(Allison)
Subject:
- U.S.-Chinese Relations and General Situation in the Far East
Participants:
- Dr. V. K. Wellington Koo—Chinese Ambassador
- John Foster Dulles—Secretary of State
- John M. Allison—Assistant Secretary of State
[Here follows discussion of relations between the United States and the Republic of China.]
When the Ambassador arose to depart, the Secretary asked him, “When are you going to get your troops out of Burma?”, and went on to express briefly to the Ambassador the seriousness with which the United States Government viewed the situation in Burma. The Ambassador said that he had had nothing in the past few days from his Government but that he hoped steps that it had already taken were helpful. Mr. Allison stated that we appreciated what the Chinese Government had done but that we still believed it necessary for the Chinese to agree in principle to the removal of the KMT troops from Burma and that if this agreement could be given we would then be in a position to go to the Burmese and request them not to bring this problem to the United Nations. It would also then be possible to work out some form of investigatory body or commission which could look into the practical problems involved.
After the Ambassador had left the Secretary’s office he told Mr. Allison that he thought his Government had received the wrong impression and that it believed that the United States was demanding that at this time it issue an unequivocal order to the Chinese troops in Burma to leave the country. He said that his impression was that all we were asking was for agreement in principle to issue such an order if after investigation it proves practical to remove at least some of the troops from Burma. Mr. Allison stated that while the United States believed the best possible thing would be for the Chinese Government at this time to issue an unequivocal order for the return of the KMT troops, nevertheless we recognized the difficulties for the Chinese in taking this step, but that we very strongly believed the Chinese Government should authorize us to inform the Burmese Government of its agreement in principle to the removal of the troops. Ambassador Koo said he understood our [Page 79] position and that he would telegraph again immediately to his Government.