Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–13, Documents on China, 1969–1972

115. Telegram 5316 From the Embassy in France to the Department of State, March 20, 1972, 1612Z¹ ²

March 20, 1972, 1612Z

O 201612Z MAR 72

FM AMEMBASSY PARIS

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5320

PARIS 5316

REF:

A) STATE 046040

B) STATE 047029

C) STATE 042369

SUBJECT: MARCH 20 MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR HUANG

1. I MET THIS MORNING FOR 65 MINUTES WITH AMBASSADOR HUANG. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY AN INTERPRETER AND FIRST SECY TSAO. THE SPIRIT OF THE MEETING EXTREMELY OPEN AND FRIENDLY.

2. HUANG CONFIRMED PRC TABLE TENNIS GROUP WILL ARRIVE IN US ON APRIL 10 AND WILL REMAIN FOR TWO WEEKS. DELEGATION WILL BE LED BY TCHOUANG TSEH-TONG, AND WILL BE COMPOSED OF TWENTY PEOPLE, ACCOMPANIED BY SIX JOURNALISTS. HUANG WILL PROVIDE US WITH NAME, PLACE OF BIRTH AND PASSPORT NUMBER OF EACH MEMBER OF THE DELEGATION AND TEAM OF JOURNALISTS.

3. HUANG SAID THERE HAVE BEEN PRESS REPORTS THAT CARL MCINTIRE OF “US MARCH OF VICTORY” WILL INVITE A GROUP OF TABLE TENNIS PLAYERS FROM THE “CLIQUE OF CHIANG-KAISHEK” TO VISIT THE US DURING THE SAME PERIOD. THE CHINESE GOVT HOPES THAT THE US GOVT WILL STOP THIS SO THAT EXCHANGES CAN PROCEED WITHOUT IMPEDIMENT.

4. THE CHINESE TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION WILL DESIGNATE A MEMBER OF THE CHINESE DELEGATION TO THE UN TO MAKE ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS VISIT. HE WILL THEN CONTACT THE US TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION DIRECTLY. THE US GOVT WILL BE KEPT INFORMED OF ALL ARRANGEMENTS. CHINESE GOVT HOPES THAT US WILL ASSIST THE CHINESE TABLE TENNIS DELEGATION AND WILL TAKE ALL NECESSARY SECURITY MEASURES. IF US GOVT HAS ANY PROPOSALS TO MAKE RE THE VISIT, THEY CAN BE MADE THROUGH THE PARIS CHANNEL.

5. I GAVE HUANG TEXT OF TELEGRAM ON MUSK OXEN/PANDA TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS. HE WAS PLEASED AND SAID HE WOULD PASS THIS ON AND GET APPROVAL ROUTE FROM HIS GOVT.

6. ALSO HANDED HUANG THANK-YOU LETTERS FROM THE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY.

7. WE DISCUSSED IN SOME DETAIL HANDLING OF PRESS INQUIRIES AND AGREED TO HANDLE THEM AS PER PARA 3 REFTEL (B) AND PARA 9 REFTEL (A).

8. I MADE POINTS DESCRIBED PARAS 1-6 REFTEL (A). AMBASSADOR HUANG SAID HE WOULD REQUEST INSTRUCTIONS.

9. WE AGREED THAT RATHER THAN SCHEDULE REGULAR MEETINGS, WE WOULD ARRANGE MEETINGS WHEN THERE WAS SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS. FOR ALL ROUTING MATTERS, WE AGEED THAT THEY WOULD BE HANDLED BY TSAO AND OUR POLITICAL COUNSELOR, ALLEN HOLMES. GP-3.

WATSON

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, POL CHICOM-US. Secret; Nodis; Homer; Immediate. Received in the Department of State at 12:49 p.m. Telegrams 46040, 47029, and 42369 to Paris are ibid.
2. Ambassador to France Watson recounted his March 20 meeting with Chinese Ambassador to France Huang Chen. The two officials discussed the upcoming visit of the PRC Table Tennis team to the United States. Huang requested that the U.S. Government refuse entry to a Taiwanese table tennis group.