229. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Republic of China0
400. Embtel 689.1 In response Foreign Minister’s letter dated October 28 suggest you comment to Foreign Minister orally repeat orally along following lines:
Foreign Minister’s letter had been communicated to Department of State which has taken note of observations contained in it. As to first observation, [Page 476] Department agrees that US Government’s meaning would be correctly conveyed by spelling word “free” with small “f”. Department notes that in Chinese text of Communiqué Chinese equivalent of “free” (tzuyuti) rather than of “Free” (tzuyu) was used, thus making clear to Chinese readers everywhere that phrase “free China” merely descriptive and not name of separate new political entity (Embtel 682).2 However Department has no objection if in subsequent releases of English language text GRC wishes to spell “free” with small “f”.
Regarding second point in Foreign Minister’s letter, Department fully agrees that any interpretation that Communiqué committed Republic of China not to use force under any circumstances is totally inconsistent with context. Wording of Communiqué seems perfectly clear that force would not be used as principal means of achieving GRC’s mission, and does not preclude use of force for self-defense or in case of large scale uprising on mainland. It will be recalled that the draft declaration suggested by Secretary Dulles read “It (GRC) will never itself initiate war to reestablish its authority upon the mainland”. This language was deliberately designed to make clear that what the Government of the Republic of China rejected was the responsibility for initiating war. If war on the mainland occurs without having been initiated by the Nationalists, that would alter the basic assumption underlying the present declaration.
In conveying foregoing to the Foreign Minister emphasize that any attempt now to amend or interpret Communiqué by exchange of letters or by any other device would be counter-productive. Communiqué has already received wide circulation and has made extremely favorable impact in US and rest of Free World. It would be catastrophe if this favorable reaction should now be undermined by statements seeming to qualify clear meaning of Communiqué or indicating disagreement between US and ROC.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/10–2958. Secret. Drafted by Martin, cleared by Parsons and in draft by Dulles, and approved by Robertson,↩
- Document 221.↩
- Telegram 682 from Taipei, October 28, pointed this out. (Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/10–2858)↩