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

270. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State¹

Warsaw, June 14, 1967, 1815Z.

2985. Wang-Gronouski Talks.² Ref: State 204093.³

1. Meeting lasted three hours but produced absolutely nothing new from ChiComs. Wang insisted next meeting take place no earlier than November and Nov. 8 agreed upon. I issued press statement regretting extension of meetings to 4–5 month intervals after meeting concluded.

2. I opened with statement in reftel. Wang, labeling his opening remarks as pre-statement comments, attacked U.S., U.K. and Sovs for colluding with Israel against Arabs and stated CPR firmly support Arab people. He returned to this theme later in meeting alleging U.S. and Sovs working in league to control destiny of Arabs and that U.S. support for Israel another grave war provocation.

3. Wang devoted substantial portion of opening statement, as well as later rebuttal remarks, to Taiwan. Occasion apparently 17th anniversary (June 27) of U.S. 7th Fleet separation of Taiwan mainland. He repeated usual charges of U.S. occupation, oppression of people on Taiwan, collusion with Chiang Kai-shek. Emphasized ChiComs would eventually liberate Taiwan and that U.S. sooner or later would be forced withdraw. Later in meeting he repeated there no possibility of improving U.S.-ChiCom relations or resolving any concrete problems unless U.S. withdraws from Taiwan and Taiwan Straits. He said all U.S. initiatives would be rebuffed until this problem dealt with. He raised visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan and C.K. Yen visit to Washington, charging this prep-aratory to new U.S.-GRC moves against mainland. I rebutted Wang’s arguments and asked whether ChiComs wished reconsider “renunciation of force” agreement discussed in early years of talks. Wang did not respond.

4. Wang reiterated in completely standard language ChiCom positions on incidents involving ChiCom territorial air and water, alleged U.S. attack, and on Vietnam. No new warnings of ChiCom intervention or involvement in Vietnam. During latter part of meeting in context of referral to possible U.S. extension of war to include territory of DRV, Wang simply said ChiComs had made preparations in event U.S. “imposes war on Chinese people.”

5. He emphasized in rebuttal that at Warsaw talks “which have dragged on for 11 years,” U.S. had refused settle basic differences between U.S. and ChiComs, i.e., Taiwan. He reiterated rejection of joint investigations of incidents as unnecessary and intended by U.S. to cover up “crimes” and “deceive people.”

6. Wang attacked U.S. use of Thailand as base aimed at CPR as well as NVN and rejected my retort that ChiComs themselves were threatening Thailand through subversive organizations based on ChiCom territory.

7. I repeatedly pressed ChiComs on whether they would support DRV in seeking negotiated settlement if latter decided to do so, noting that ChiComs seemed more anxious than DRV to see war continue. Wang’s only reply was that ChiComs believed DRV agreed with them and that U.S. should not try to sow discord between Chinese and DRV.

8. No mention of Hong Kong or suggestion that talks be ended other than Wang’s insistence that no point in more frequent meetings than every 4–5 months.

9. General atmosphere about as at previous meetings. Wang, as at last meeting, appeared to labor intentionally to drag meeting out to [apparent omission] hours. He seemed to lose his temper only at one point, in referring to U.S. expansion of war. He referred to me as “liar” and “gangster” at one point and I responded by rejecting such epithets as unworthy our roles in Warsaw talks. He did not repeat them. ChiCom opening statement such propaganda potboiler I was sure Wang intended it for public release and must admit to surprise he made no mention of intention to do so. As was anticipated, meeting essentially served merely to keep line of communication open and this about all that could have been hoped for at this point.

Gronouski

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL CHICOM-US. Confidential; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated to Hong Kong, London, Moscow, Taipei, USUN, and to Luxembourg for the Secretary. Passed to the White House and USIA.
2. The 133d meeting, scheduled for June 7, was postponed to June 14 at Chinese request, made by a telephone call to the U.S. Embassy on June 6. (Telegram 2950 from Warsaw, June 6; ibid.) A detailed report of the meeting was sent in airgram A–800 from Warsaw, dated June 15. (Ibid.)
3. Document 268.