693.0031 Tibet/8–748
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Treasury (Snyder)
The Secretary of State transmits to the Secretary of the Treasury for the information of the Office of International Finance of the Treasury Department a file of papers concerning the request of the Tibet Trade Mission to be given permission to purchase in the United States and to export to Tibet fifty thousand ounces of gold for the purpose of stabilizing the Tibetan currency. The chief enclosure consists of a letter dated August 7, 1948 to the Secretary of State from Mr. Tsepon Shakabpa, Leader of the Tibet Trade Mission, in which among other subjects the request above mentioned is broached. Also enclosed is the Department of State’s reply to Mr. Shakabpa.
In the event such a request to purchase gold is submitted to the Treasury Department, the State Department would perceive no objection to sale of gold to the Government of Tibet and does not believe that such sale would in any way constitute an impairment of United States recognition of China’s de jure sovereignty over Tibet, since the Department does not intend that such a sale would affect the continuation of this Government’s recognition of China’s de jure sovereignty over Tibet.