Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, China, Volume II

317. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (McConaughy), and the First Secretary of the British Embassy (Joy), Washington, July 24, 1955¹

Washington, July 24, 1955

SUBJECT

• Proposed Talks with Chinese Communists at Geneva.

Mr. Joy telephoned me at 1:10 p.m. to report that the Embassy had just received a message from the British Chargé at Peiping. He quoted the message as stating that the Chargé (O’Neill) had seen the Chinese Communist Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs on the morning of July 24 local time and delivered the latest US message.² Joy said that he was certain that the message referred to was the one sent from Geneva. O’Neill reported that the Vice Minister rejected the compromise version suggested by the US which omitted reference by name to either party. O’Neill said he then put forward the second US suggestion which named the two countries involved. The Vice Minister stated that he would refer the proposal to the Foreign Minister immediately and communicate with the Chargé later in the day. The Vice Minister recognized that it was too late to release an announcement on July 24. He thought that there would be sufficient time for the release to be made at both places on July 25 at 1400 GMT. The Vice Minister told the Chargé that his government would mention the Chinese People’s Republic first, and he assumed that the US government would mention the United States first.

Mr. Joy indicated that the British Chargé anticipated a very early acceptance by the Chinese Communists. He thought that a message to this effect might come through at any moment.³

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/7–2455. Top Secret. Drafted by McConaughy.
2. The reference is apparently to the July 23 message as relayed to O’Neill; see footnote 3, supra.
3. A memorandum of conversation by McConaughy, dated July 25, states that Joy telephoned him at 2:15 a.m. to report the receipt of a message from O’Neill stating that the Chinese had agreed to the U.S. proposal to refer to the United States and the People’s Republic of China in the identic announcement. The Chinese wanted final reconfirmation of U.S. agreement to the text and to simultaneous release at 1400 hours GMT, July 25, and McConaughy told Joy he could so inform O’Neill. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–2555)