34. Telegram From the Secretary of State to Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson, at Geneva1
599. Re Deptel 598.2 Following is text of draft “Agreed Announcement”.
Begin text.
“The Ambassadors of the USA and the PRC have agreed to announce the measures which their respective Governments have adopted with respect to repatriation of civilians who desire to return to their respective countries.
“With respect to Chinese residing in the United States, Ambassador Johnson, on behalf of the US Government, has informed Ambassador Wang that: (1) The US recognizes that Chinese in the USA who desire to return to the PRC are now entitled to do so and declares that it has adopted measures so that they may in fact promptly return. (2) The US will authorize the Government of the Republic of India to assist return to the PRC of those Chinese who desire to do so as follows: (a) If any Chinese in the USA believes that contrary to the declared policy of the USA he is encountering obstruction in departure he may so inform the Indian Embassy in the USA and request it to make representations on his behalf to the US Government. If desired by the PRC the Indian Government may also make investigation of the facts in any such case, (b) If a Chinese in the US who desires to return to the PRC has difficulty in paying his return expenses, the Indian Government may render him financial assistance needed to permit his return. (3) The Government of the US will give [Page 55] wide publicity in the USA to the foregoing arrangements and the Government of India may also do so.
“With respect to Americans residing in the PRC, Ambassador Wang on behalf of the PRC has informed Ambassador Johnson that: (1) The PRC recognizes that Americans in the PRC who desire to return to the USA are entitled to do so and declares that it has adopted and will further adopt appropriate measures so that they can promptly exercise their right to return. (2) The PRC will authorize the Government of the UK to assist in the return to the US of those Americans who desire to do so as follows: (a) If any American in the PRC believes that contrary to the declared policy of the PRC he is encountering obstruction in departure he may so inform the Office of the Chargé d’Affaires of the UK in the PRC and request it to make representations on his behalf to the Government of the PRC. If desired by the US, the Government of the UK may also make investigation of the facts in any such case, (b) If an American in the PRC who desires to return to the US has difficulty in paying his return expenses, the Government of the UK may render him financial assistance needed to permit his return. (3) The Government of the PRC will give wide publicity in the PRC to the foregoing arrangements.”
End text.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/8–2155. Secret; Priority. Drafted and approved by Dulles; cleared with Sebald.↩
- Telegram 598 to Geneva, August 21, informed Johnson that the Department was transmitting a new revised draft agreed announcement with a view to its introduction at the August 23 meeting and requested Johnson’s concurrence or comments. It noted that the U.S. and PRC sections on repatriation were not exactly parallel, stated that the Department felt the announcement should state the U.S. position accurately, and commented that the deviation from parallel language seemed unavoidable unless the PRC would match the U.S. statement. It stated that the Department desired no “private agreements which add to or subtract from ‘agreed announcement’ or which provide anything other than reasonable interpretation of it” and saw no justification for an understanding on the jurisdiction question. Johnson was instructed, however, to insist on an understanding containing a “reasonable interpretation” of the word “promptly”, as telegram 569 (Document 30) had instructed him. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/8–2055)↩