761.9312 (Aggressor)/3: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 29—5:40 a.m.]
552. The Minister for Foreign Affairs invited the British and the French Ambassadors and myself to receive from him this morning the announcement that on August 21 the Chinese Government signed with the Soviet Government a non-aggression treaty. He stated that text of treaty with accompanying statement has been communicated to Chinese missions abroad for communication to other governments and for the press. Treaty is to be made public in tomorrow’s press in China.
He stated that treaty was simple in nature providing (1) that neither party would take direct aggressive action against the other, (2) that where a third party takes aggressive action against either of the parties to the treaty, neither party will assist the aggressor against the other, (3) that all treaties bilateral and multi-lateral to which the contracting parties are signatories are not affected by newly signed treaty.
Minister for Foreign Affairs explained to us that this treaty was not expected to have any effect upon present Sino-Japanese hostilities, [Page 493] that it was simply a partial fulfillment of Chinese policy to cultivate and cement friendly relations with her two powerful neighbors. He said that in the statement which is to be published with the text of the treaty it would be said that China was equally prepared to enter into a similar treaty with Japan.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs also emphasized that despite this treaty the Chinese Government adhered to the policy of opposing communism as enjoined by Kuomintang power [Congress?].
Minister for Foreign Affairs is understood to have separately informed the German and Italian Ambassadors of above treaty on August 27 and 28 respectively.
Repeated to Embassy at Peiping.