893.01/12–2049
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of Chinese Affairs (Sprouse)
Mr. Taymans81 called at his request this morning and explained that he was calling in accordance with the instructions of his Foreign Office to discuss the question of recognition of the Chinese Communist regime. He stated that it was still the opinion of the Belgian Government that there was no need for haste in extending recognition and that it would be desirable for the friendly Western powers to maintain a common front on this question. He said that present indications seem to point to early British recognition, possibly shortly after the first of the year, and that the Belgian Government had to give serious consideration to the action it should take in this regard. He said if the British Government alone extended recognition the Belgian Government would probably not go along and would desire to postpone such action until some unnamed future date. He added, however, that if the other Brussels Pact82 Powers, including France, should extend recognition the Belgian Government would almost inevitably have to take similar action, which might be taken jointly with the other nations concerned. He asked for an indication of the Department’s views on this question.
I reviewed briefly the Department’s views in regard to this question, pointing out that the Department still considered that hasty and premature action toward recognition would be disadvantageous to the interests of this country and the interests of the Western nations in [Page 231] general. I said that at the present time this Government could not even seriously consider the question of recognition so long as the Chinese Communist regime gave no indication of observance of normal standards of international conduct. I reviewed briefly the Ward and Smith–Bender cases, the treatment of our Consulate General at Shanghai in connection with the demands of Chinese ex-Navy employees and the matter of General Soule’s exit permit.83 I said that it was realized, of course, that the final decision in this regard must be made by each nation on the basis of its own interests and that we desired to continue consultation on this subject and to be informed of the views of the other friendly Western nations. In reply to Mr. Taymans’ direct question whether any indication could be given of when the U.S. Government might recognize the Chinese Communist regime, I said that no such indication could be given. I expressed appreciation of his action in communicating to the Department the views of the Belgian Government and expressed the hope that he would again get in touch with the Department prior to any action which might be taken by the Belgian Government on this question. Mr. Taymans agreed to do so.
- Roger Taymans, Counselor of the Belgian Embassy.↩
- Treaty for collaboration in economic, social, and cultural matters and for collective self-defense, signed at Brussels, March 17, 1948; United Nations Treaty Series, vol. xix, p. 51.↩
- For correspondence on these subjects, see volume viii .↩