183. Telegram From the Consul General at Geneva (Gowen) to the Department of State1
786. Gowen and Shillock met Chinese Communist officials Shen Ping Acting Consul General Li Kuang Tze, Consul Yeh Ching-pa official, and Hsu Wei Chin interpreter March 31 at Hotel Beau-Rivage Geneva at their request.2 Language French. Meeting lasted two hours. Shen Ping opened meeting by reading prepared Chinese statement which was translated into French:
“During and after Geneva conference US Government three times gave promise for 27 Chinese students in US to return to their country. However, up to now only ten students have actually returned their country. This is not satisfactory. There are over 5,000 Chinese students in US. According incomplete statistics 316 such students have asked permission leave US for their country. Not only have they not been allowed leave US but they have been subjected to oppressive measures and continue to be ill-treated. The fact American Government continues prevent these students return their country and to ill-treat them is absolutely unjustifiable. These students have right return their homeland and not to grant them this right is violation their rights and causes great anxiety to their families especially as these students have been in US for long time. To prevent members these families to become reunited is violation human rights. I solemnly declare to US Government my government and people my country insist in declaring their objection to such American action against these students and that such action is unjustifiable illegal and inhuman. This action on part American Government has caused great indignation among people China. US Government must forthwith grant freedom these Chinese students to return their homeland. I hope you will inform your government this situation and let me know at earliest date that arrangements for granting permission our students in US to return their homeland have been made. Referring our meeting Geneva February 28 and your query concerning welfare certain Americans in our country my answer is as far as I know up to now they are all in good health except Mrs. Wilda Bradshaw3 who has however already received medical care.”
Gowen replied “I have noted what you have said and will inform my government accordingly. Pending such formal official [Page 436] reply as my government may wish to make to what you have just stated I wish to tell you that what you have just said about alleged unjustifiable illegal and inhuman treatment of your students in the US is not based on any facts and is not at all true. Actually it is groundless. Can you furnish any concrete facts in support of what you have said about alleged ill-treatment and oppression of your students in the US? I have noted what you have said about the welfare Americans mentioned in our previous meeting February 28 and would ask you to continue furnish us information concerning their welfare.”
Chinese replied “If we consider certain facts we can state that what we have said about oppression against our students in the US is true because last year during similar meeting in Geneva between our side and your representatives Ambassador Johnson declared US Government had refused 120 exit permit applications for Chinese students to return to their homeland.4 He then also said that he would propose to American Government to reconsider these 120 refusals. Up to now nothing has come of this. Such a situation is not good.” At this point Gowen interrupted to say that this cannot be construed to be considered oppression or ill treatment. The Chinese made note of this and did not make any specific reply. The Chinese then went to say “on August 5, 1954 twenty-six Chinese students in the US after their exit permit application had been refused wrote to Mr. President Eisenhower appealing to him to let them return to their homeland. However their appeal has not been granted. On September 2, 1954 nine students also wrote to Mr. President Eisenhower to be allowed to go home but to no avail. We consider these refusals unjustifiable. Thirty-one Chinese students in the US also wrote to Secretary General UN asking him to support their sacred right to repatriation to enable them to join their families but again in this case the US Government has done nothing. In view these refusals I wish to repeat my request that US Government must grant these students permission to return their homeland. Their desire join their parents wives and children cannot be violated. Why does US Government still hold these innocent students and prevent them to return to China? As you know these Chinese students were sent to the US only to study there and many are now prevented from going home. This we discussed fully during our meeting at time Geneva conference here. There have also been cases in which Chinese students in US have been arrested or detained even when they were just leaving [Page 437] en route their country. In some cases they were notified by US Government that if they attempted to leave US they will be fined over $5,000 or imprisoned for 5 years and their passports have actually been taken from them. I again repeat Ambassador Johnson had told us he would ask US Government reconsider 120 exit permit refusals for Chinese students but this reconsideration has not taken place and we do not know if the letter addressed to President Eisenhower has ever been answered. We ask you to communicate what I have said to your government promptly and to let us know at earliest date when we can expect a reply through you from your government.” In reply Gowen said “I shall communicate what you have stated to my government and let you know any reply I may receive for you. You said 10 students have already left the US. Actually, basing myself on information which I had as of February 28, last number Chinese students who up to that time had left US was 14. Again as of that time 10 other students had not yet completed their travel plans and 3 had voluntarily decided remain in US. Situation your remaining students who had applied for exit permit was still being examined as of time our previous meeting. I am not aware any ill-treatment oppression or unjustifiable measures against your students in US. Many are pursuing chosen studies or other occupations and no cases are known of unfair or unusual treatment. All are well treated. Are you interested in receiving information about welfare any particular Chinese students in US?”
Chinese replied “should our government be interested in welfare any particular Chinese students in US we shall let you know. Do you have any other matter or question to submit at this meeting?” Gowen said “during our last meeting you stated Americans in your country may freely communicate with relatives in US. I then asked you to request your Red Cross do everything possible to expedite transmission letters from these Americans to their families. Have you received any information this subject?” Chinese answered “we have every reason believe such letters can be freely exchanged through Red Cross channels.” Gowen asked whether small packages containing medicines and food stuffs sent to Americans in Red China might be receipted by addressees and if such receipts bearing their signature could be mailed back to families or Red Cross in US. Chinese said “we shall ascertain from our Red Cross if this procedure can be followed and let you know”. Gowen said “I stress strong opposition my government and my people to unwarranted detention Americans in your country and repeat demand made under orders from my government for liberation these Americans as I stated here on February 28”. Chinese said “we confirm policy our government is to grant Americans permission to leave China after examination provided no cases criminal or civil nature pending against them. By this policy it [Page 438] protects foreigners who wish leave China but those foreigners who committed crimes against our laws are condemned according our laws”.
I followed Department’s guidance your niact 817 March 315 which explains why I repeated items previous meeting.
Chinese stressed they expect receive early reply and actually asked if I could indicate when next meeting would be held. I said I would promptly communicate with them on being instructed do so by my government. They carefully wrote this down and again said they wished early reply.
On this occasion, despite what they said, all of which was written and discussed in Chinese and then written in French and then checked again with Shen Ping, they seemed more relaxed than at previous meeting. They were first offer hand-shake on our arrival and again on departure.
No press release issued by me.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 211.9311/3–3155. Confidential; Niact. Repeated for information to London and Hong Kong.↩
- Telegram 781 from Geneva, March 31, reported that the Chinese had just requested a meeting for 3 p.m. (Ibid., 611.95A241/3–3155)↩
- Dr. and Mrs. Homer V. Bradshaw, Presbyterian missionaries, were imprisoned in March 1951.↩
- Johnson stated this at a meeting with Ambassador Wang Ping-nan on June 15, 1954, but at subsequent U.S.-Chinese meetings in Geneva in 1954, U.S. representatives stated that U.S. objections to the departure of a number of the 120 students had been withdrawn and that the students had been so informed. For documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. xiv, Part 1, pp. 338 ff.↩
- The reference telegram authorized Gowen to meet with the Chinese that afternoon and instructed him to follow the lines laid down in his instructions for the last meeting and to merely note any information or request from the other side for transmittal to the Department. (Department of State, Central Files, 211.9311/3–3155)↩