Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East, Volume VIII

851G.00/1–2446: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in China at Chungking¹³

secret

Washington, January 30, 1946—6 p.m.

182. 1. Yuen Tse Kien, political adviser to General Lu Han at Hanoi, informed Kenneth Landon, a Dept officer now at Saigon, that both Annamese and French have already promised to grant requests by China for such economic privileges as free access to Haiphong and use of railroad without discriminatory taxation. Dept understands French-Chinese conversations on economic concessions and also withdrawal Chinese troops northern Indochina proceeding Chungking and Hanoi. Dept would greatly appreciate any information on details French concessions to Chinese and form and status of any understanding. Dept also anxious to secure all possible information on Chinese plans withdrawal northern Indochina.

2. Dept has requested Landon to proceed Hanoi to report on conditions and on reported French-Viet Minh negotiations. D’Argenlieu understood to have stated privately that French negotiations with Ho Chi Minh had been in progress since late Nov and satisfactory agreement anticipated about end of Jan. Also that he personally would be willing accept Philippine model with Annamese independence at end 30 years. Other reports deny existence such negotiations.

3.…

Byrnes

13. General of the Army George C. Marshall, Special Representative of President Truman in China, with the personal rank of Ambassador, headed a mission to China during 1946, but the post of Ambassador to China remained vacant until July when Dr. John Leighton Stuart was appointed.