Office of the Historian

97. National Security Study Memorandum 1061

Washington, November 19, 1970.

TO

  • The Secretary of State
  • The Secretary of Defense
  • The Director of Central Intelligence
  • The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

SUBJECT

  • China Policy

The President has directed the preparation of a study on China Policy to be carried out by the Interdepartmental Group for East Asia and Pacific Affairs. In addition to the regular members of the Group, the Chairman should invite representatives of other agencies, such as Treasury and Commerce, to participate as appropriate.

The study should include such subjects as:

  • —Long range (5–10 year) U.S. policy goals as regards China;
  • —Short range policy goals toward China;
  • —U.S. policy toward Taiwan including short-range goals of our relations with the GRC;
  • —Tactics to be pursued in carrying out the foregoing;
  • —Coordination of policy consideration and tactics with other countries which have a particular interest in China, e.g., Japan, Australia, New Zealand;
  • —Effect of U.S.-China policy on U.S.-Soviet relations;
  • —Effect of U.S.-China policy on our interests in Southeast Asia.

This study should be submitted to the Senior Review Group by February 15, 1971.

Henry A. Kissinger
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Boxes H–176 and 177, NSSM Files, NSSM 106. Secret; Sensitive. Copies were sent to Stans and Kennedy. According to an October 19 memorandum from Lord to Kissinger, the impetus for the study came in part from an October 8 letter fro. Richard Moorsteen. Kissinger noted on this memorandum: “I agree with Moorsteen. Do it as NSSM of policy review for SRG.” (Ibid., RG 59, S/P Files: Lot 77 D 112, Policy Planning Staff, Director’s Files, Winston Lord Chronology, November 1970. Moorsteen’s letter was attached.) Moorsteen had served on Richardson’s staff in 1969 as a Foreign Service Reserve officer. In a November 18 memorandum to Kissinger, Holdridge, Colonel Kennedy, Wright, and Sonnenfeldt noted that Kissinger transmitted his request for the draft NSSM through Lord and that the study would be under the chairmanship of the Under Secretary of State. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 520, Country Files, Far East, China, Vol. V) The Department of State was also moving ahead with a re-evaluation of policy toward the PRC. In a November 18 memorandum to Nixon, Rogers announced that he had ordered the Department of State, under the coordination of EA, to initiate a “thorough study and review” of Sino-American relations and Chinese representation in the United Nations. This was undertaken at the suggestion of Brown, in his November 17 memorandum to Rogers. (Both ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, UN 6 CHICOM) Documentation on Chinese representation in the United Nations, including NSSM 107, November 17, is in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume V.↩