Office of the Historian

164. Telegram From the Embassy in the Republic of China to the Department of State1

Taipei, July 5, 1966, 0815Z.

45. 1. One statement by Secretary in conversation with Pres Chiang is being reported only by this telegram, and will be omitted from airgram containing MemCon. Occasion was during last meeting with Gimo 1100 a.m. July 4.

2. Secretary said that if US becomes involved in any part of an attack on the Chinese Communist mainland then USG must see the conflict [Page 351] through to a conclusion and cannot be half in and half out. He said he could not imagine any general engagement between US forces and ChiComs being limited to conventional weapons. He reminded Pres Chiang that they had discussed this before (during Secy’s visit April 1964).

McConaughy
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, ORG 7 S. Top Secret; Exdis. Repeated to Tokyo for Rusk.↩