Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, China, Volume XIX

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

Warsaw, July 15, 1960, 5 p.m.

77. Beam–Wang Talks. Deptel 46.¹ 99th meeting one hour 30 minutes.²

Wang opened with wide-ranging attack on alleged US aggressive actions in Far East, Cuba, Congo, et cetera. Then concentrated his fire on accusation US had “grabbed” Taiwan ten years ago, turned it into US colony, and was pressing ahead with “2-Chinas plot”. Declared only way for US to purge itself of aggression was to withdraw from Taiwan and added it would be better if US did this soon rather than later.

I replied with categorical denial Wang’s accusations and said they only served to heat up atmosphere to no purpose. Then proceeded to demonstrate Chinese Communist commitment to war as instrument of national policy, as shown by recent statements, following instructions in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of reference telegram. Pointed it was threat arising from this fundamental attitude of Chinese Communist regime which made necessary defensive arrangements by US and its allies.

This exchange followed by give and take in which Wang attempted to demonstrate Chinese Communist devotion to peace and peaceful co-existence and renewed his attacks on US “aggression”. I replied that his charges against US were only cloak for his own side’s aggressive designs.

I called for release of prisoners and accounting for missing service-men, in response to which Wang merely referred to previous statements. He did not mention forthcoming visits of Mrs. Downey and Judge Walsh.

Wang then said that with respect to newsmen, his side still studying proposal we had made last meeting and would defer response to next meeting. I made statement about admission Edgar Snow, along lines paragraph 6 reference telegram,³ to which Wang replied that his understanding of that was that Snow was a “writer” not a “correspondent”. In view fact Chinese Communists still studying our proposal, I said nothing about public statement, but commented would be interested in what they have to say at next meeting.

Next meeting Tuesday, September 6, 2 p.m.

Beam

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–1560. Confidential; Priority; Limit Distribution. Received at 11:20 a.m. on July 16. Also sent to USUN and repeated to Taipei. The documents cited in footnotes 1 and 2 below are in the Supplement.
1. Telegram 46 to Warsaw, July 12, conveyed Beam’s instructions for the meeting. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–1260)
2. Beam sent his comments and recommendations in telegram 87 from Warsaw, July 19, and a transcript of the meeting in airgram G–11, July 22. (Ibid., 611.93/7–1960 and 611.93/7–2260, respectively)
3. Paragraph 6 instructed Beam to note “that we are pleased to see, re question of exchange of newsmen, that his side has abandoned its previous position on need for signed agreement between two sides by issuing visa to correspondent Edgar Snow.” It noted that although Snow had described himself to a correspondent in Peking as a writer rather than a journalist, he had been granted a validated passport as a journalist at the request of Cowles publications.