Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXII, Northeast Asia

198. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy⁰

Washington, May 23, 1961.

SUBJECT

• Diplomatic Recognition of Outer Mongolia (the Mongolian People’s Republic)

In our staff memorandum of February 4 to General Goodpaster¹ I promised to review our policy toward Outer Mongolia and recommend a course of action.

The matter has now been thoroughly reviewed² and I believe that we should be prepared to extend diplomatic recognition to Outer Mongolia if we can reach agreement on an exchange of diplomatic missions and obtain specific assurance that our mission in Ulan Bator would be able to operate in a reasonably normal fashion. In arriving at this position I have given particular weight to the utility of that mission as a source of information. Ulan Bator would be a most useful place from which to observe and evaluate differences between the Soviet Union and Communist China, and these differences, of course, have significant and farreaching implications for our foreign policy. Furthermore, the presence of a mission in Ulan Bator would provide improved access to some areas of the Soviet Union. We would plan to accredit our Ambassador in Moscow also to Ulan Bator and assign officers there for one year tours largely from Embassy Moscow. Travel of these officers and of couriers to and from Ulan Bator would traverse sectors of the Soviet Union now usually inaccessible.

I have taken into account the counterargument that recognition of Outer Mongolia would have adverse effects throughout the Far East and particularly on our relations with the Republic of China. We have already received indications of that government’s displeasure over the possibility, and our Ambassador in Taipei has commented that the difficulties of reaching an accommodation with the Republic of China over the issue of Chinese representation in the United Nations will be greatly increased if we proceed with our recognition of the Outer Mongolian regime.

However, I believe the course of recent events in the United Nations has affected these objections. The Brazzaville group of African states and the French agreed to go along with the Soviet idea of a package deal involving admission of both Outer Mongolia and Mauritania. We concluded that if we followed this course we would find ourselves in the position of appearing to have been entrapped by a Soviet maneuver and would also have less likelihood of obtaining Outer Mongolian agreement to the establishment of a U.S. mission in Ulan Bator under satisfactory operating conditions. Moreover, we fear that a veto of Outer Mongolia by the Republic of China would have adverse effects on the Republic of China’s position in the UN. Consequently, we are seeking to mobilize sufficient abstentions in the Security Council to block Outer Mongolian membership and will probably be successful in this effort.

We explained in the General Assembly that we are reexamining the question of Outer Mongolian sovereignty and if our examination discloses that that country has the attributes of sovereignty, including the ability and willingness to establish normal diplomatic and cultural relations with other countries, we will be prepared to support and even co-sponsor Outer Mongolian application for UN membership.

I believe that our position at the UN affords us the most advantageous grounds on which to make an approach to the Outer Mongolians. However, I would recommend that we proceed no matter what the outcome of the anticipated proceedings in the Security Council.

We have discussed our proposed line of action with both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee in formal executive sessions,³ as well as with Senators Mansfield and Fulbright and Congressman Morgan in private. These consultations went very well. Only Congressmen Judd and Zablocki⁴ offered any criticism of the plan. I believe we can proceed without fear of significant Congressional difficulties.

We are now in the process of consulting with our allies to ascertain their views. If you approve the extension of diplomatic recognition to Outer Mongolia in the event we are able to reach agreement providing for normal operating conditions for our mission, I would recommend that we authorize Ambassador Thompson to inform the Soviets of our intentions and to make the approach to the Mongolian Ambassador in Moscow, as soon as the consultations with our allies are completed.

Dean Rusk

0. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Outer Mongolia. Secret. The source text does not indicate the drafter; the Department of State file copy indicates that it was drafted by Officer in Charge of Multilateral Political Relations in the Office of Soviet Union Affairs John A. Armitage. (Department of State, Central Files, 793C.02/5-2361) A note on the source text in Bundy’s handwriting indicates that the President approved it.
1. Reference is to a February 4 memorandum from Department of State Executive Secretariat Director Walter J. Stoessel, Jr., to General Andrew J. Goodpaster, enclosing an undated paper prepared in the Department of State headed “United States Policy Toward Outer Mongolia.” The paper discussed the possibility of U.S. recognition of Mongolia but recommended against it; Stoessel’s memorandum states that Secretary Rusk was sending the paper to President Kennedy for his information but wished to review the matter before making a recommendation. (Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Outer Mongolia)
2. A May 4 memorandum from Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Foy D. Kohler to Rusk discussed the question and recommended recognition and establishment of diplomatic relations. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.93C/5-461)
3. Under Secretary of State Chester Bowles raised the subject with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in an executive session on May 17. See Executive Sessions of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Historical Series), vol. XIII, Part 1, Eighty-seventh Congress, First Session, 1961, p. 563.
4. Representatives Walter H. Judd of Minnesota and Clement J. Zablocki of Wisconsin.