199. Memorandum of Conversation0
Secretary’s Trip to Rome, England, Alaska and Taiwan
PARTICIPANTS
- The Secretary
- Assistant Secretary Robertson
- Ambassador Drumright
- President Chiang Kai-shek
- Premier Chen Cheng
- Foreign Minister Huang
- Ambassador Yeh
- President Secretary-General Chang Chun
SUBJECT
- The Role of the Republic of China in the Free World
(Note: For the Secretary’s paper referred to below see REAT MC–10,1 which also refers to this conversation.)
Secretary Dulles initiated the conversation by asking the President for the latest information in regard to the status of the fighting at Kinmen. President Chiang replied that he had no recent news. At this point Premier Chen Chang interjected that firing had been resumed at 9:30 in the morning.
[Page 422]President Chiang suggested that the discussions be resumed where he and Secretary Dulles had left off the evening before. The Secretary indicated this was agreeable with him. He then said that he had put down some thoughts on paper (see REAT MC–10). He had just asked Ambassador Yeh to read the paper and it was in Mr. Yeh’s hand. The Secretary then inquired of the President as to what would be the best way to proceed with the discussion. The President, in reply, suggested that Ambassador Yeh give an oral translation of the paper. (Ambassador Yeh then proceeded to give a paragraph by paragraph oral translation of Secretary Dulles’ paper.)
After Ambassador Yeh finished the translation, Secretary Dulles suggested that President Chiang might want time to have an opportunity to consider his paper. The Secretary then went on to suggest that if the President had any clarifying questions he wished to put, it might be well to do so at this juncture, then recess, and meet again after lunch. The President indicated that he had no questions at this time.
President Chiang then said that Secretary Dulles’ arrival had coincided with the resumption by the Communists of the bombardment of Kinmen. He wished to ask Secretary Dulles if he had any views on how to handle this situation. The President considered it to be an urgent matter that needed to be dealt with. Secretary Dulles replied that, with the resumption of shelling, the situation should be dealt with in the same way as before the ceasefire. He said that the understandings and methods followed before are best designed to meet the situation confronting us now. He did not think it yet certain that the resumption of firing really represented a resumption of effort to take the offshore islands or was a part of a total Communist propaganda effort to take advantage of his visit to Taiwan. The Secretary added that, unless the Communists made an effort within the next two or three days to seize Kinmen, he believed that the GRC and the U.S. should revert for the time being to the procedures they had employed prior to cessation of the shelling.
The Secretary then said that the United States is redeploying to the Taiwan area some of its naval strength which had gone to other places following the Communist ceasefire. The Secretary then said he believed that before his departure a joint statement of solidarity and purpose should be issued. Such statement should make clear that Communist resumption of fighting will not serve to separate the two sides but bring them closer together. President Chiang said that he was in agreement with the Secretary’s suggestion.
In response to an inquiry from Premier Chen Cheng, Secretary Dulles said he wanted to make one point clear. He said there exist four countries in the world which are divided by Communist efforts: China, Korea, Viet-Nam, and Germany. In three of these countries the situation has been dealt with in such a way that there is some confidence of no resumption [Page 423] of fighting. Only in the case of China is there no armistice. While the Secretary was convinced that the Communists will not accept an armistice, the Republic of China must make clear that it is willing to accept a situation comparable to that in the other three divided countries. In short, the blame for disturbing the peace must be placed on the Communists and not on the Republic of China. The Secretary continued by saying that he wished to make it perfectly clear that he does not envisage that by adopting a peaceful role, the Republic of China should give up its mission to restore freedom to the mainland. For example, if, at the time of the Hungarian revolution there had been a Free Hungarian Government with legitimacy and military power in the vicinity of Hungary, it could have insured the success of the popular revolt which took place in Hungary. Similarly, the Secretary continued, the Republic of China could in his opinion play a decisive role when the inevitable revolt occurs on the mainland. But for the Republic of China to keep alive as a symbol of China with the support of the Free World, it must place itself in a posture where it will not provoke a world war. Unless proper steps are taken, what impends now is a move soon on the part of many Free World allies to withdraw recognition from the Republic of China and accord it. to the Chinese Communists. This would enhance the prestige of the Chinese Communists, enable them to gain admission to the United Nations and thereby enhance Communist control of the mainland people. The Secretary then said he believed that in order to stop this trend and to maintain support of the Republic of China by most of the Free World, including countries like France, Canada, New Zealand and a number of Latin American Governments, it will be necessary for the Republic of China to take actions along the lines indicated in his paper.
At this point, President Chiang said that he would like to reserve his views on the Secretary’s paper until he and his colleagues had had time to consider it. The President then said that as the Secretary knew, he is a revolutionary and his Government is a revolutionary government. As such, he and his Government attach a great importance to principles.
After some discussion it was agreed that the Chinese side would inform the American side later in the day of the time and place of a further meeting.
- Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 63 D 123, CF 1136. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Drumright. The conversation was held at President Chiang’s residence.↩
- Reference should be to REAT MC–10a, Document 200.↩