751G.5/6–2652: Telegram
The Chargé at Saigon (Gullion) to the Department of State
priority
2610. Rptd info Paris 819, London 50. Eyes only Chiefs of Mission. Eyes only Bruce and Allison. No distribution except as indicated by Dept. Re Legtel 2579, June 23.1 Yesterday I called on Gautier Acting HICOM ranking French official for confirmation of reports of Chinese [Page 209] troops in Tonkin. Surprisingly he had at that time received no information from military collaborators. This morning he sent to me AF Col, … From him I learned the fol:
Chinese battalions reported in reference telegram have been in action past five days against French organized Meo counter guerrilla units in region Muong Kuang—Pakha—Sin Ma Kay and south of Hoang So Phi (22 degrees 43 minutes; 104 degrees 41 minutes). Strength indefinite but field estimates range between five and ten battalions believed be regiment troops of which identification of 111 and 113 battalions were given me. Units probably not full strength. Supposed to have crossed into Indochina from area below Ma Sin Chi in Yunnan south of Riviere Claire on nineteenth or twentieth. French claim these troops operating in conjunction with and support of 148th VM (not Chinese as inadvertently reported reference telegram) regiment. French report Chinese and VM suffered three hundred killed and may have withdrawn yesterday across border.
This is first time French have ever officially stated there have been Chinese casualties within Indochina. French report that there are no French cadres or troops involved and that local command forces are led by own leaders, including Chau Quang Lo. However, French supported action with B–26 sorties from delta area.
There are two current hypotheses concerning this Chinese action: One is that this opium-foraging expedition and the other which does not entirely exclude the opium theory is that 148th regiment got into difficulty with the French organized guerrilla groups and called on Chinese for assistance. It may have been that activities of groups interfered with frontier exchanges including opium. Guerrilla groups with which French have been making particular efforts in last year and which are now beginning to show results had destroyed Viet Minh dumps at Pakhar.
Terrain in this region is not propitious for large-scale invasion and there is no indication this Chinese action is part of or preliminary to large-scale intervention although it is much the most important incursion so far and only one to result in sharp action and casualties. It may suggest pattern for future action: If VM units are in trouble particularly behind their delta front, Chinese units will come to their assistance.
I asked my informant what orders Paris had given. He said Paris only now getting reports and no instructions yet received.
In view fact that action …, there seems to be some delay in giving information through regular … channels, hence my reporting is nonexpert. Am informed, however, that full review of action and estimate [Page 210] its significance will be given to tripartite Mil Attaché conference in Saigon beginning tomorrow.2
- In telegram 2579 from Saigon, June 23, not printed, Gullion reported on indications of increased Chinese Communist activity in northern Vietnam. (751G.5/6–2352)↩
- In telegram 2623 from Saigon, June 28, Gullion relayed information received from French sources indicating that the Chinese troops had withdrawn across the border to China. The French reported that eight prisoners had been taken and that a Chinese colonel (a regimental commander) had been killed. (751G.5/6–2852)↩