Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, China, Volume XIX

349. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State⁰

Warsaw, September 6, 1960, 7 p.m.

403. Beam–Wang Talks. Report on 100 meeting lasting two hours 35 minutes:¹

1. I opened with statement based on paragraphs 1, 2, 3, and 5 Deptel 255.²

2. Wang replied with distorted 5 year history of talks, claiming Chou En-lai initiated at Bandung conference, referring to alleged ChiCom constructive proposals, US imperialistic attitude which had sabotaged talks despite patient ChiCom negotiation, ending with charge US occupying Taiwan and dividing China, etc.

3. In reply I stressed deception we had experienced re prisoners, including Bishop Walsh, inhuman refusal account for missing Korean servicemen, rebuttal on Pacific free nuclear zone, ChiCom threats and aggression in Taiwan area and ChiCom refusal renounce force, etc.

4. Wang then rejected our draft on newsmen exchange attributing ulterior motives to mention US constitution and laws before principles of reciprocity and to lack stated purpose of exchange. He then distributed draft counter-proposal sent Embtel 402³ which I attacked on following grounds: (A) Apart from ChiCom disregard in practice of stated five principles of coexistence, draft completely inacceptable in reference withdrawal US forces from Taiwan and inappropriate for newsmen exchange; (B) equal numerical exchange previously rejected by US for good reasons; (C) US cannot put aside existing laws and regulations; (D) two last paragraphs of draft restrictive of legitimate press freedom.

5. I deplored Wang’s confusion and obstruction of simple practical proposal we had made in interest taking preliminary step toward better understanding. Stating I was empowered reject this counter-proposal, I said I would report to Washington where public statement may be made on subject.⁴ Wang reserved right his government make similar public announcement.

Date next meeting October 18 at 2 p.m.

Beam

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/9–660. Confidential; Niact; Limit Distribution. The documents cited in footnotes 1 and 2 below are in the Supplement.
1. Beam sent his comments and recommendations in telegram 419, September 8, and a transcript of the meeting in airgram G–93, September 9. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/9–860 and 611.93/9–960, respectively)
2. Telegram 255 to Warsaw, September 1, conveyed Beam’s instructions for the meeting. Paragraph 5 reads in part as follows: “Wang’s side cannot have it both ways. Concept of ‘countries with different social systems coexisting together’ completly incompatible with that of ‘struggle’ and ‘uninterrupted revolution’. If Wang’s side genuinely supports former, it must unequivocally reject latter and take concrete action to prove its good faith. Example would be in joining with us in renouncing use of force in Taiwan area, which we both acknowledge is main source of tension between us.” (Ibid., 611.93/9–160)
3. Telegram 402 from Warsaw, September 6, transmitted the text of Wang’s draft counterproposal on exchange of newsmen. (Ibid., 611.93/9–660; see Supplement) For text of the counterproposal, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1960, pp. 662–663.
4. For text of a statement issued by the Department of State on September 8, see ibid., pp. 661–663.