Office of the Historian

371. Information Memorandum From the Assistant Secretaries of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Green) and International Organization Affairs (De Palma) to Acting Secretary of State Irwin1

Washington, July 12, 1971.

SUBJECT

  • Chirep: ROC Acceptance of a Dual Representation Formula

The ROC Foreign Minister has suggested that as soon as the US has made its policy decision Japan should begin working immediately, with tacit ROC and US support, to round up votes for a simple dual representation formula that does not mention the Security Council seat, combined with a separate “reverse Important Question” resolution which would require a two-thirds vote for the expulsion of the ROC. He also expressed to Ambassador McConaughy an earnest hope for the promptest possible US decision. The Foreign Minister also stressed the need for an early tabling of an agreed resolution in order best to forestall priority consideration of the Albanian Resolution.

This information indicates quite clearly that the ROC has now decided, at a minimum, that:

1.
The former IQ–AR formula cannot be successfully used again.
2.
It can accept—and presumably work tacitly for—a dual representation formula provided it does not state the Security Council seat should go to Peking and provided there is the protection of a two-thirds vote on expulsion.
3.
It can go this far for tactical reasons because it judges that the PRC would not enter the UN under this formula.

The ROC has already quietly moved further than many would have predicted a few months ago. Even though it remains unlikely, we should not now exclude the possibility that, while remaining silent or apparently obdurate until the eleventh hour, President Chiang will finally decide to move even further than he or the ROC has thus far indicated.2

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, UN 6 CHICOM. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by John T. McCarthy and Starbird and cleared in draft by Armitage.↩
  2. Attached but not printed are telegram 3300 from Taipei, July 7, and telegram 3314 from Taipei, July 8, which are summarized in this memorandum.↩