Office of the Historian

795B.5/6–3050

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Chinese Affairs (Freeman)

secret
[Washington,] June 30, 1950.

Subject: Chinese Offer of Military Aid to the Republic of Korea

Participants: Dr. Shao-hwa Tan, Chinese Minister
Mr. Freeman, CA

Dr. Tan called this noon at his request and handed me an aide-mémoire with respect to the offer of the Chinese Government to provide military assistance to the Republic of Korea. A copy of this aide-mémoire is attached. Dr. Tan stated that this additional information was in substantiation of Ambassador Koo’s conversation of June 29 with Mr. Merchant on this subject.

Dr. Tan informed me that the Ambassador was quite disturbed over the press reports emanating from Taipei on the subject of military aid to Korea, and he assured me that the disclosure of this information in Taipei was unauthorized and “must have come from non-government sources”. He added that the Legislative Yuan was meeting today in Taipei and that it might agree on a recommendation that Chinese troops be sent to Korea. Dr. Tan pointed out that in such an event the Government would, of course, have no control over the publicity which might result.

[Annex]

The Chinese Embassy to the Department of State

Aide-Mémoire

1.
The Chinese Government will make available for use in South Korea to repel the armed attack of North Korea one army of seasoned [Page 263] troops of approximately 33,000 men suitable for operations in plains or hilly terrain.
2.
These troops carry the best equipment at China’s disposal.
3.
For the transportation of these troops the Chinese Government will provide 20 air transports of the type C–46 and, if necessary, can give a reasonable amount of air cover. If the troops are to be transported by sea, the Chinese Government can provide a moderate amount of naval escort.
4.
These troops can be ready for embarkation in five days.

[Washington,] June 30, 1950.