300. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Secretary of State1
SUBJECT
- Continuation of Geneva Talks
We have considered the following alternative methods of carrying on the Geneva talks following Johnson’s transfer:
- (1)
- Beam meeting with Wang in Warsaw.
- (2)
- Rankin commuting to Geneva from Belgrade.
- (3)
- Talks to be shifted to a lower level and be conducted by Edwin W. Martin commuting from London to Geneva. (Martin is First Secretary in London and has been participating in the talks as advisor to Johnson since June. He was formerly Deputy Director of CA.)
With respect to the first suggestion, shifting the meeting place to Warsaw would put us at a disadvantage. Press facilities, ease of access and the traditional role of Switzerland as a neutral meeting place all argue in favor of keeping the talks in Geneva.
[Page 644]Rankin would be a good choice if it should be decided to continue the talks at the ambassadorial level. He has an intimate knowledge of the China problem and is a competent negotiator.
On balance, I favor lowering the level of the talks and having them conducted by Martin. This would give us an opportunity to express our dissatisfaction at the failure of the Communists to fulfill their promise to release the imprisoned Americans and to renounce the use of force. It would also be an effective rejoinder to Chou En-lai’s statements to the assembled diplomats in Peiping on November 15, that the United States is pushing the two-China concept as a preliminary to recognizing Chou’s Government (see British report attached, Tab B2). I do not think we need fear that this action on our part is likely to cause the Chinese Communists to break off the talks, particularly in view of Chou’s statement regarding the Geneva talks at the same meeting that they were ready to continue talking for 10 or 20 years if necessary. Our statement could be phrased in such a way as to give us freedom of action to propose restoring the talks to the ambassadorial level whenever we might consider that desirable.
Recommendation:
- 1.
- That you approve instructing Johnson to inform the Communists at the December 12 meeting that he is being transferred, but that Martin has been designated to continue the talks with whomever the Communists wish to appoint;
- 2.
- That, in the unlikely event that the Communists refuse to continue the talks on this basis, they be informed that we remain ready to continue the meetings but cannot designate an ambassador for this purpose at this time.
Approved: JFD