Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXX, Public Diplomacy

79. Information Memorandum From the Assistant Director, East Asia and the Pacific, United States Information Agency (Smith) to the Deputy Director (Bray)¹

Washington, July 19, 1977

SUBJECT

• U.S. Policy in East Asia

As a followup to our discussion of U.S. policy in East Asia at yesterday’s ZBB meeting, I am attaching a copy of Secretary Vance’s speech before the Asia Society on June 29.² In it, particularly on pages 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 12, you will find explicit statements aimed at reassuring East Asians of our continuing significant involvement in the area.

In addition, following are some extracts from State’s East Asia Bureau’s ZBB submission touching on the same points:

“The United States must remain an Asian-Pacific power” (p. 1)

“The SEAsian countries are fearful that we may be turning our backs on them in the aftermath of Viet Nam. . .” (p. 1)

“. . . we should also be conscious of the political need to develop such non-military supports as economic ties, as our direct security role is perceived to decline” (p. 3)

“As our ground forces are withdrawn over the next few years, (Korea) we will want to maintain confidence through other means. . .” (p. 3)

These are but a few extracts which support this theme, but read together with the Vance speech and other policy statements, which can be supplied, I don’t think there should be any serious doubt that this Administration believes shoring up the confidence of East Asians in America’s long-term staying power and positive involvement in the area is real and necessary.

This is not to say that our continued involvement will be in the same form as it existed before Viet Nam fell. That, obviously, is not the case, but that also is another issue.

I trust you don’t mind this effort at policy explication.

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Office of the Director, Executive Secretariat, Secretariat Staff, Correspondence Files, 1973–1980, Entry P–104, Box 130, 7702800–7702809. Confidential. Copies were sent to Reinhardt and IOP. Bray placed a check-mark on the memorandum, indicating that he had seen it; Liu also initialed the memorandum. A stamped notation on the reverse side of the first page of the memorandum indicates that it was received on July 19 at 4:42 p.m.
2. Attached but not printed. An excerpt of Vance’s June 29 Asia Society address is printed in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. I, Foundations of Foreign Policy, Document 48.