168. Memorandum for the Record, New York, October 16, 1972, 2:30-3:10 p.m.1 2
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 17, 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
The following is a report of a meeting with Mrs. Shih at the Chinese Mission in New York on October 16, 1972.
I entered the Mission at 2:30 p.m. and was greeted by Mrs. Shih and escorted to the second floor. Tea was served and pleasantries exchanged.
I handed the message (attached) to Mrs. Shih and told her Dr. Kissinger asked that it be conveyed to the Ambassador as soon as possible. Mrs. Shih read the message and said she had no questions.
In the general conversation that followed, Mrs. Shih made the following comments:
- — She was pleased to see the President had received the Chinese medical delegation.
- — She commented on the photos in Life magazine of Chinese Mission personnel. (This was done in a light vein.)
- — I noticed workmen in the area and Mrs. Shih said they were installing a closed-circuit TV.
- — I departed the Mission at 3:10 p.m. with Mrs. Shih’s greetings to all.
V. James Fazio
Deputy Director
Situation Room
The U.S. side considers that an agreement is near in its negotiations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam with respect to the conflict in Southeast Asia. One of the remaining issues in the effort to achieve a negotiated settlement of the conflict relates to the question of restricting military supplies to both North and South Vietnam by outside powers. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam has insisted that there can be no international restrictions on the amount of military aid it will receive from outside powers while on the other hand there must be precisely such restrictions with regard to aid for South Vietnam.
While the U.S. side is prepared to accept limitations on American military aid to South Vietnam under the terms of the settlement, such a one-sided limitation will not be understood by the American public, on whose support the viability of any arrangements depends. Moreover, such a one-sided arrangement would violate the principle of reciprocity and equality of commitments which must be the foundation of any lasting settlement.
The question of how restrictions on military aid to North Vietnam may be formulated in the actual agreement on the settlement is less important than the actual conduct, in practice, of the countries which are the principal military suppliers of the North Vietnamese. Therefore, in assessing its willingness to undertake what are essentially unilateral [Page 3] written obligations on this outstanding point, the U.S. side would welcome some indication from the Government of the People’s Republic of China as to what policies it will pursue in regard to United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
As soon as a settlement is arrived at, Dr. Kissinger will be prepared to explore other outstanding issues of Indochina, especially the problem of Cambodia.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 850, President’s File-China Trip, China Exchanges, June 25, 1972-Oct 17, 1972. Top Secret; Sensitive. A handwritten notation on the attached message reads: “Handed to Mrs. Shih by J. Fazio, Oct 16, 1972, NYC.”↩
- Deputy Director of the White House Situation Room Fazio and Shih Yen-hua of the Chinese Mission to the UN discussed general matters. Fazio furnished Shih Yen-hua with a message concerning the question of restricting military supplies to North and South Vietnam by outside powers.↩