Office of the Historian

190. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State0

Warsaw, October 15, 1958, 7 p.m.

596. USUN for Lodge. Beam–Wang Talks. 81st meeting two hours 15 minutes.1

I led off with prepared statement based on Deptel 440.2

[Page 407]

Wang replied with point by point rejection both US draft agreed announcements arguing they were simply devices to legalize US “occupation” Taiwan and carry out “two-Chinas plot”. Again drew careful distinction between Chinese internal affairs which he declared not fit subject for discussion these talks and presence and preparations of US forces in the area on which he insisted discussion should be centered. Said if US sincerely interested reaching peaceful settlement through negotiation we should begin discussion on basis ChiComs September 22 [proposal].3

I attacked Wang’s distinction between internal and international aspects of situation using material last paragraph for total US capitulation and again asked for evidence ChiCom desire reach peaceful settlement through genuine negotiation.

Using material from Secretary’s press conference4 Wang challenged US competence discuss such matters as force strength on offshore islands and again questioned authority US represent GRC. I replied along lines last paragraph Deptel 451.5 In subsequent give and take Wang attacked GRC and US relationship thereto while I refuted his arguments.

I proposed next meeting Monday, Wang countered with Wednesday October 22, 2 p.m. Thereupon I proposed Thursday October 23, 2 p.m. which Wang accepted.

Beam
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/10–1558. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to USUN and priority to Taipei.↩
  2. Beam sent a detailed report of the meeting in telegram 598, October 15, and his comments and recommendations in telegram 607, October 16. (Ibid., 611.93/10–1558 and 611.93/10–1658, respectively; see Supplement)↩
  3. Document 184.↩
  4. See Document 119.↩
  5. Of October 14. For a transcript, see Department of State Bulletin, November 3, 1958, pp. 681–688.↩
  6. Document 189.↩