Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXX, China

178. Memorandum From Alfred Jenkins of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow)¹

Washington, September 1, 1966.

SUBJECT

• DOD Interest in ChiRep

Mort Halperin told me at lunch today that a DOD memorandum on ChiRep² advocating abandonment of the old formula and pointing toward a “two China” policy had been approved all the way through McNamara, without any discernible opposition in Defense.

According to Mort, McNamara commissioned his staff to find some way of getting DOD into ChiRep policy deliberations. The reasoning was that our present stand damages our relations with friends, and that particularly in the case of Japan such damage has defense implications.

Mort said he was talking out of school, of course, and would appreciate our treating this accordingly.

As you have observed, the issue is not appropriate for NSC deliberation but I wonder whether it would be an appropriate Tuesday luncheon topic.

• Al
• WJJ ³

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, China, Vol. VII. Confidential.
2. The memorandum has not been found.
3. Jorden initialed below Jenkins’ signature.