Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume X, Vietnam, January 1973–July 1975

222. Telegram From the Department of State to the Liaison Office in China ¹

Washington, April 11, 1975, 0717Z.

82747. Subject: Cambodia. Ref: Phnom Penh 6113.²

1. You will have received reftel. If you have not already seen Phung, do so immediately and include gist of reftel in your presentation to him. If you have already seen him, then you should contact him again immediately and pass on the word.

2. You should then inform him that an immediate reply is needed to our original message. If it is affirmative, you can tell him that we believe position taken by Phnom Penh opens way for immediate arrangement along lines we have proposed.

3. In giving him Phnom Penh position, you should draw heavily on Saukham Khoy’s readiness to accommodate, without getting into problem raised by Long Boret’s apparent reluctance.

4. Let us know result of your contact. If in the end you receive an authoritative and generally affirmative reply, you should communicate it to us and Phnom Penh simultaneously by flash message. If vacillation appears, you should make it clear that time is running out for kind of arrangement Sihanouk envisaged, as described by Phung.

Kissinger

1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific, Box 4, Cambodia, State Department Telegrams, From SECSTATE, Nodis (3). Top Secret; Nodis; Flash. Drafted by Habib and approved by Habib, Lord, and Eagleburger. Repeated to Phnom Penh.
2. Document 220.