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  4. Document 172

790.5/2–2454: Telegram

No. 172
The Chargé in the Republic of China (Jones) to the Department of State

confidential
Taipei , February 24, 1954—5 p.m.

476. Deptel 665.1 Foreign Minister raised again today question of security pact inquiring as to Department reaction. I informed him draft was under study in Washington whereupon he urged now as psychological [moment?] for proceeding with such an agreement.

Substantial Chinese opinion regards forthcoming Geneva conference as preliminary step toward admission Red China to UN, he said. Signing of mutual security pact at this time would be strong reassurance that US would not let free China down.

Since US already committed to defense of Formosa, pact would simply represent formal acknowledgment of existing status, would have tremendous effect on morale here.

Foreign Minister further alluded to ANZUS, Philippines and Korean pacts and pointed out difficult for Chinese to understand omission of their country where so much military aid already invested.

Jones
  1. Telegram 665 to Taipei, Jan. 19, instructed the Embassy to inform Foreign Minister Yeh that the draft security pact which he gave to Rankin in December 1953 (see telegram 358, Document 161) was under preliminary study in the Department. (790B.5/12–1953)↩