Office of the Historian

80. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Reinhardt) to Secretary of State Vance1

Washington, July 22, 1977

SUBJECT

  • PRC Jamming of VOA Chinese Broadcasts

During your conversations in Peking,2 you may wish to raise the subject of PRC jamming of Voice of America Chinese broadcasts.

Since 1973, we have hoped that improving U.S.-Chinese relations would lead to the end of PRC jamming of these broadcasts. To date, however, the jamming continues.

The point could be made that no other country now jams VOA broadcasts. The Soviets ceased doing so in 1973. The U.S. has always considered jamming an unfriendly act; its cessation would mark a significant improvement in our relationship with the PRC. Moreover, frequent Western press accounts cite the PRC as the only country which currently jams the Voice, a fact which damages the image that Peking seems to wish to cultivate internationally.

VOA Chinese language broadcasts—like those directed to other countries—consist of a comprehensive and authoritative report of international and U.S. news, of news analyses and other news-related materials (such as U.S. and international editorial round-ups) and Americana features, including English teaching and music.

Since the U.S. continually protests Soviet interference with the free flow of information, failure to raise this issue with the Chinese could leave the Administration vulnerable to charges of inconsistency, both from the Soviets and from the Congress, should the question be raised in connection with public debate on the conduct of our relations with China.

If you should need more information on this subject, I would be glad to provide it.

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Office of the Director, Executive Secretariat, Secretariat Staff, Correspondence Files, 1973–1980, Entry P–104, Box 131, 7702930–7702939. Confidential. Drafted by Tuch on July 15 and redrafted by Fraser. Copies were sent to Bray, Tuch, Morton Smith, and IOR/DIS. A notation in an unknown hand indicates that the memorandum was hand-delivered to the Department of State on July 22.↩
  2. Vance traveled to China August 20–26 to meet with Huang Hua, Huang Chen, and other Chinese officials. For the memoranda of conversation of these meetings, see Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. XIII, China, Documents 47–54.↩