81. Telegram 492 to Geneva1
492. For Johnson. Your 448.
We feel very satisfied with the line you have taken.
We would be willing to have a joint statement which would say in effect:
QUOTE The USA and the CPR have respectively declared on the one hand that Chinese nationals in the US who desire to return to the Chinese mainland are now free to do so, and on the other hand that US nationals on the Chinese mainland who desire to return to the US are now free to do so.
If any national so entitled to return believes that contrary to the above, he is encountering official obstruction to departure, he may in the case of a Chinese inform the Indian Embassy in the USA, and in the case of a US citizen inform the UK mission to the CPR which may investigate the facts and intervene on such civilian’s behalf. Furthermore, these missions may render financial assistance needed to permit any civilian to return.
Wide publicity will be given in each case to the provisions of respective declarations and the referred-to missions may also give appropriate publicity.
UNQUOTE
We are willing to omit paragraph 4 our 466 relying in substitution upon the word “now” in the first paragraph above. Also, paragraph 5 of 466 would in the [Facsimile Page 2] present form become unnecessary.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/8–1255. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Dulles; cleared by McConaughy.↩