Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Volume III, China, Microfiche Supplement

235. Telegram 777 from Geneva¹

Geneva, September 26, 1955, 5 p.m.

777. From Johnson.

1. Reference para 8 Mytel 770 following is draft of suggested statement to be issued here by “US spokesman” under circumstances set forth that para. Statement might, of course, require some revision in light developments at meeting but it would be important it be issued immediately following any statement by Wang.

2. “The present series of talks between Ambassador Wang and Ambassador Johnson were undertaken on the initiative of the United States Government in the hope that this might bring about the release of the Americans still detained in mainland China and thus provide basis for discussing and settling other practical matters at issue between the two sides. After more than five weeks of discussion, an agreed announcement was issued on September 10, in which the PRC publicly acknowledged that Americans in the PRC who desired to return to the US were entitled to do so and committed itself to adopt further appropriate measures ‘so that these persons could expeditiously exercise their right to return’. In the same announcement, the PRC also set forth certain functions which representatives of the UK in the PRC were to undertake with respect to the departure of Americans who desired to return to the US.

3. “The United States Government hoped and expected that this clear commitment by the PRC would be promptly and faithfully implemented and that the talks could then immediately proceed to the discussion of the other practical matters in accordance with the statement of July 25 issued by the US Government and PRC. Unfortunately, although nearly three weeks have passed since the issuance of the agreed announcement, nineteen Americans still remain imprisoned in the PRC and the PRC has refused to give any indication when they may be able to return. This raises serious question as to how the PRC interprets its commitment to allow these persons to ‘expeditiously exercise their right to return.’

4. “The United States Government is also concerned because it has not been possible, up to the present time, even to learn whether and how the PRC is implementing its undertaking to arrange for the United Kingdom to assist the return of Americans. It was not until September 23, or 13 days after the issuance of the announcement, the US was informed by the PRC that the UK had been enabled to undertake its functions in the PRC. Furthermore, despite continued requests, the PRC still declines to confirm whether all jailed Americans have even been informed of the terms of the agreed announcement and whether they will be granted access to the UK representative in the PRC. It is particularly difficult to understand this situation in the light of Mr. Chou En-lai’s statement just prior the opening of these talks to the effect that it would be easy to resolve the problem of Americans in the PRC.

5. “The fact is that today—more than 8 weeks since the start of the talks—only one-third of the jailed Americans have been released.

6. “The United States Government, for its part, not only reiterated in the agreed announcement its previous assurance that Chinese in the US who desire to return to the PRC are free to do so, but also promptly arranged for the GOI to undertake the functions set forth in the announcement. The PRC has been kept currently informed of all steps being taken by the US Government in this regard.

7. “The US continues to hope that the PRC will, for its part, quickly take steps to implement its commitments so that these talks may promptly move on to the discussion of other practical matters”.

Shillock

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/9–2655. Secret; Limited Distribution.