Office of the Historian

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

Warsaw, November 25, 1958, 6 p.m.

761. USUN for Lodge. Beam–Wang Talks. 84th meeting 2 hours.1 I led off with brief statement along lines Department telegram 6192 querying Wang further on ChiCom attitude toward renunciation force. Wang replied in customary language accusing US of aggression in Taiwan area, rejecting renunciation force as unacceptable since related to Chinese internal matter, and demanding US discuss basic issue between us which he described as withdrawal all US forces from Taiwan area.

In brief give and take which followed I rejected charge US aggression and pointed out only forces presently engaged in offensive military action Taiwan area were ChiComs. I then presented problem American citizens held in China and unaccounted for military personnel. Wang questioned our motive raising these issues, accusing us of deliberate procrastination and alleged talks should deal only with Taiwan problem. I replied these issues unsettled in talks at Geneva and there no question but what we entitled bring up these or any other issues to which Wang replied only that these should continue to be handled between respective Red Cross Societies. I pointed out they had been satisfactorily so handled in past, but no reply received to American Red Cross latest communication. Wang replied he sure Chinese Red Cross would respond to “any reasonable request”.

I proposed next meeting Wednesday, December 10. Wang countered with Friday, December 12, 2 p.m. and we agreed on that date.

Beam
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/11–2558. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Received at 6:13 a.m. on November 26. Repeated to USUN and Taipei.↩
  2. Beam sent a detailed report of the meeting in telegram 762 from Warsaw and his comments and recommendations in telegram 763, both November 25. (Ibid.; see Supplement)↩
  3. Document 241.↩