795.00/11–3051: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Gifford) to the Secretary of State
2566. In tel dated Nov 27, Lamb, head Brit mission, Peiping, reported to FonOff that he had been informed about two weeks previously in strictest confidence that Chou En-lai, in a speech to Chinese artistic and cultural society with closest Communist Party affiliations, said CPG forced to negotiate cease-fire owing to adverse effects of war on natl economy. Chou quoted as saying Korean war had already cost Chinese more than Jap hostilities.
Original source above info was a Chinese present at meeting who told it to friend of Lamb. Informant commented Chou had recently regained original influence with CPG and had now replaced Liu Shaochi1 as spokesman of official policy.
Lamb commented this report would strengthen belief CPG about ready for cease-fire. If so, they presumably also ready negotiate armistice, subject inevitable face-saving bargaining. They may try subsequently re-introduce 38th parallel as basis for dividing line, so as to give color to claim of having driven back UN to south thereof.
- Vice-Chairman of the Central People’s Government Council of the People’s Republic of China.↩