324. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State1
168. Subj: Conversation With SYG on Chirep.
During a call on the SYG yesterday morning on another subject, I mentioned his statement, which he had made previously and reiterated in his January 18 press conference, that he did not expect Communist China to obtain representation in the UN before 1972 but that they might do so that year.2 I inquired how he saw this coming about and particularly whether he thought any sort of dual representation for both PRC and GRC would be feasible.
He replied that he is inclined to think that while the Albanian resolution will obtain a larger number of affirmative votes this year, the Important Question resolution will still be adopted and hence there will be no change in China’s representation this year. On the other hand he would think that by 1972 opinion would have evolved sufficiently so that the Albanian resolution would be adopted. He did not think that dual representation would be possible since he believes that Peking [Page 572] is and will remain adamantly opposed to it. He said that during the last Assembly he had asked the Romanians to inquire of Peking whether it would consider any form of dual representation and it had replied firmly in the negative. I pointed out that, while this might be their present position, they might not necessarily stick firmly to it under all circumstances. Thant said that one could not be certain but he thought that they would.