Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume XII, Part 1

790.00/5–1054: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Department of State¹

secret

Taipei, May 10, 1954—11 p.m.

610. Taipei’s 558² and 574³ to Department. Foreign Minister today called our attention to May 8 United Press despatch from Geneva quoting Peiping spokesman Huang Hua as having likened French proposals for ending Indochina War to those advanced by Chiang Kai-shek for settlement in China prior to Red victory there. Yeh thought this point well-taken and that acceptance of Communist views on Indochina would lead to still another Red success.

Minister requested urgently that United States keep his government currently informed of developments regarding Southeast Asia defense pact. He stressed Chinese Government’s direct interest in that area, due particularly to presence of 10 million Chinese who make up large part of merchant and artisan classes there. Understanding and support of this group would be important to success of and defense arrangement and would depend in large degree on whether possible for Chinese Government to cooperate actively.

Prospective inclusion of Philippines in Southeast Asia pact, Foreign Minister feared, would lessen chance of its taking leadership of, or seeking participation in regional arrangement with Formosa and Korea. He considered, therefore, particularly important United States should encourage actively a pact between Korea and Chinese Governments with eventual participation of Japan. He described President Rhee as chief obstacle to latter feature of such arrangement and hoped United States would work on him. While immediate adherence of Japan might be unfeasible for various reasons, Minister believed without United States backing and eventual Japanese participation, any East Asia defense arrangement would have little value.

Foreign Minister then inquired regarding status of proposal bilateral United States-Chinese security pact. Coming on top of observations in preceding paragraphs, he strongly implied Chinese Government felt very much left out of recent United States collective security plans.⁴

Rankin

1. Repeated for information to Geneva, Manila, Saigon, and Seoul.
2. Not printed.
3. Dated Apr. 19, p. 429.
4. In telegram 919 to Taipei, June 5, repeated for information to Seoul and Tokyo, the Department of State commented: “While Department does not wish intervene actively, recognize certain desirable features of such a pact and perceive no objection provided it is negotiated at initiative of governments concerned.” The telegram was drafted in the Office of Chinese Affairs, cleared in the Office of Northeast Asian Affairs, and approved for transmission by Drumright. (790.00/5–1054)