304. Editorial Note
At the 420th meeting of the National Security Council on October 1, 1959, Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles commented on Sino-Soviet relations during his briefing on significant world developments, and a brief discussion followed. The relevant portion of the memorandum of discussion by Boggs, October 2, reads as follows:
“Mr. Dulles said celebrations of the Tenth Anniversary of the Chinese Communist regime were now in progress. In this connection Khrushchev had made an important speech, which was perhaps not well received in Communist China, in which he had said that the Communist countries had challenged the capitalist countries, but that a test of force between communism and capitalism would be wrong. The Chinese Minister of Defense subsequently delivered a bellicose speech quite inconsistent with Khrushchev’s speech. The Chinese Communists are apparently unhappy over the contrast between the US, which consults its allies before negotiating with the USSR, and Khrushchev who consults his allies later. Mr. Dulles thought many potential areas of friction between Communist China and the USSR existed, and felt that the Chinese Communists had perhaps been cudgeled into making a statement approving the US-USSR Joint Communiqué.
“Mr. Gray asked whether Mr. Dulles had any information on what Khrushchev might be saying privately to the Chinese Communists about the use of force. Mr. Dulles replied that time would be required to collect such information, and that one could not be sure of its accuracy. Mr. Dulles thought it was significant that Khrushchev’s speech was broadcast in China. In response to a question from Mr. Allen, Mr. Dulles said he would have to determine later the extent to which Khrushchev’s speech was carried in Chinese throughout Communist China, and also whether it was broadcast in the USSR. A recent broadcast in the USSR had not accurately reflected the views of US industrialists on Russia. Secretary Mueller thought the Soviets were trying to drive a wedge between the attitude of business and the attitude of the Administration toward the USSR; the Soviets think these attitudes differ.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)
The text of Chairman Khrushchev’s September 30 speech in Peking is in Current Digest of the Soviet Press, volume XI, No. 39, October 28, 1959, pages 20–22.