893.248/208½
The Chinese Embassy to the Department of State31
Soviet material assistance to China is based on credit agreements in the form of exchange of goods. Recently the Soviet Government, in view of Japan’s failure to effect peace and China’s determined resistance, [Page 710] has on several occasions assured Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek of its willingness to continue the delivery of materials in fulfillment of the credit agreements, including field guns, machine guns, etc. However, only a small number of airplanes are forthcoming and the Chinese Government has not been informed of the exact quantity of the supplies or the dates of delivery.
Soviet Representatives at the same time have asked for information as to the result of negotiations for supplies of military equipment and materials from America, and expressed the hope that the United States might extend to China her fullest measure of assistance.
Soviet aid to China therefore tends to become more positive in the future and will be closely related to the attitude of the United States.
- Handed on December 14 to the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck) by the Chinese Ambassador (Hu Shih) as being a paraphrase of a message which the Chinese Ambassador had received from the Chinese Government in reply to inquiries made by the Department on December 4.↩