10. Letter From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the Military Attaché at the Embassy in France (Walters), Washington, July 20, 19711 2
July 20, 1971
Dear Dick:
Attached you will find two enclosures. The first is a two-page message which is to be handed to the Chinese Ambassador for the promptest transmission to Premier Chou En-lai. The second is an instruction to you for oral transmission to the Ambassador.
You will note from both enclosures that Mr. Kissinger would like to see the Chinese Ambassador on either the 25th or 26th. Hopefully, a meeting could be arranged in the Ambassador’s residence before midnight on the 25th. In this case, you might proceed directly to your residence from the airport, drop off luggage and one passenger and proceed directly to the Ambassador’s residence. If, however, as you mentioned on the phone, a change will have to be made as to the arrival airfield, a meeting at the residence on the afternoon of the 26th would also be acceptable as a second choice.
Concerning this weekend, option 1 or 3 would be acceptable for accommodations. The schedule for the trip includes:
Departure from Andrews
0830 local, July 25
Arrive Rhein Main
2050 local
Arrive Paris
2235 local
Since the last discussion was not precise on this issue, you will wish to confirm with the North Vietnamese that the meeting on the 26th should be at 1030 local.
Best regards,
Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
Brigadier General, U.S. Army Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Major General
Military Attache
American Embassy, Paris
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 849, President’s File-China Trip, China Exchanges, July 1971-Oct 20, 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Attached but not published are the two messages, which were to be handed to the Chinese ambassador for transmission to Chou En-lai.↩
- Haig informed Walters that President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Kissinger would be visiting Paris on July 25 and 26 and would like to meet with the Chinese Ambassador at his residence on July 25.↩