611.95A241/12–3054: Telegram
No. 460
The United States Representative at
the United Nations (Lodge) to the Department of
State
321. Re SYG’s trip to Peiping. Dr. Tsiang (China) came in to see Amb. Lodge to get info on the plans of the US in connection with the SYG’s trip to Peiping. He was particularly interested in knowing whether the SYG was authorized to bargain with the Chi Comms in any way. He specifically mentioned the possibility of releasing the 35 Chinese students in the US, but also spoke of other concessions or quid pro quo which the Chi Comms might demand.
Amb. Lodge told him that the SYG was empowered to do no bargaining whatever on behalf of the US; that his powers came exclusively from the res passed by the GA; that he had with him the names of all US military personnel believed to be in Chi Comm hands, and that Lodge believed the SYG felt that his terms of reference embraced only UN military personnel held by the Chi Comms in contravention of the armistice agreement.
Lodge then asked Tsiang what his own opinion was as to the success that cld be expected of the SYG’s mission. Tsiang replied that he felt the SYG wld not return completely empty-handed; that, as [Page 1059] Lodge had phrased it, Chou En-lai was objective enough to see that the official and public opinion of the US and the rest of the free world was so strong and united on the subject that he cld scarcely afford to send the SYG home with a peremptory turn-down. The extent to which Chou En-lai would act on this realization was, of course, purely conjectural, but he thought that at least some of the 15 American fliers might gain their freedom quite soon after the current visit.
Tsiang then asked whether, in our opinion, the SYG would make still another and perhaps a third trip to Peiping in an attempt to get the balance out. Lodge wld hazard no prediction as to this point, but said he felt that the SYG’s own plans did not at this time extend beyond the single round trip.
Tsiang obviously came in primarily for info and for reassurance that we were not committed to trading or bargaining with the Chi Comms. He seemed considerably relieved when he left.