320/11–1550
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Chinese Affairs (Clubb) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Rusk)
Subject: Relationship of Attendance of Chinese Communist Delegation at UN re Charge of American Aggression Against Formosa to Matter of Chinese Communist Intervention in Korea
Reference: USUN Telegrams Nos. 808 and 809, November 11.1
It is noted that Chou En-lai’s two telegrams of November 11 and November 12, respectively, announce the intent that representatives of the Peiping regime will attend the meetings of the UNSC for discussion of the Chinese Communist complaint alleging armed aggression [Page 1158] against Formosa, and, while refusing the invitation to attend the meetings of the UNSC to discuss Chinese intervention in Korea, propose that “it would be most proper that the SC combine the discussion of the accusation raised by the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China against armed aggression on Taiwan by the U.S. Government and discussion of the question of armed intervention in Korea by the U.S. Government” thus to enable the Chinese Communist delegation to raise an accusation “against armed intervention in Korea by the U.S. Government”.
It is the CA position that the Chinese Communists should by no manner of means be permitted thus to confuse the issue. Their case as regards the charge of American armed aggression against Formosa is most weak and must inevitably fall of its own weight. It is the Moscow line that the hostilities in Korea are the result of aggression mounted by the Republic of Korea against the Communist regime in North Korea in accordance with a Machiavellian American plan. No consideration of the case based on law or logic, even though in the halls of the UN, would alter that point of view. The Chinese Communists, if they testify in the UNSC at all with respect to Korea, should be caused to do so only in connection with UNSC consideration of Chinese Communist intervention. No charge of “American aggression” should be permitted to reach the UNSC with respect to Korea where all of the present trouble has so clearly resulted from actions of the Communist side itself.