FE files, lot 55 D 480, “Communist China”
No. 363
Memorandum by the Assistant
Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the
Under Secretary of State (Hoover)
Subject:
- FE’s Evaluation of New Sino-Soviet Agreements
In response to your request for an evaluation and possibly a position report from the FE area on “new” relationships between Communist China and the USSR,1 the following sums up this Bureau’s reaction to the agreements announced in the Sino-Soviet communiqué of October 12.
The communiqué reveals no basic change in the relationship between Peiping and Moscow which has existed since the Sino-Soviet Treaty of February 1950. Communist China remains firmly integrated in the Communist bloc under the leadership of the Soviet Union. It is pertinent to note in this connection, that the communiqué was issued shortly after the adoption of a constitution by the Peiping regime2 which reaffirms Communist China’s “indestructible friendship” with the “Great” Soviet Union and outlines a domestic policy of “Socialist transformation”, whose goal is well described in the Chinese Communist slogan “the Soviet Union of today is the China of tomorrow”.
While FE can find in the communiqué no ground for re-evaluating the present official U.S. estimate of the solidarity of the Peiping-Moscow tie, the communiqué does represent a significant propaganda effort designed to promote the peaceful co-existence theme. This effort is aimed primarily at Asian nations and especially at Japan which is singled out for individual attention. By conveying the impression that the status of Communist China has been elevated to that of equality with Moscow, the Communists apparently hope not only to lend added prestige to the Peiping regime which might strengthen its bid for international acceptance and a UN seat but also to allay fears of such countries as Japan and India that close association with the Communist bloc means subservience to Moscow.