70. Memorandum From W. R. Smyser of the National Security Council Staff to Secretary of State Kissinger1
SUBJECT
- Backgrounder on Chinese Internal Developments
I concur with Dick Solomon’s recommendation (Tab A)2 that you brief selected journalists on a “deep background” basis about current developments in China.
But I want to add two obvious words of caution, in case they have not already occurred to you:
- —I think there will be a great temptation in the next few months for members of the press to attack our China effort as “another element of détente that has not worked out as promised.” Chinese hardening on travel and Chinese domestic turmoil will provide ammunition adequate for this though not as good as the ammunition that the Russians have provided.
- —Some people could argue that your backgrounder represents an effort to stave off that kind of attack.
I think this means that, if you give the backgrounder, it must be done on a highly selective basis, perhaps even on an individual basis with journalists who have come to see you on some other topic.
Let me add that this underlines the need for you to keep an independent China expertise here if you choose to let Solomon go. Hong Kong has already shown that it does not understand the issue either in Chinese or American terms. USLO in Peking will do no better, I fear. The Department and much of our press will be swept away by their analysis, and without independent capacity we will not be able to counter them from here.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 528, Country Files, Far East, People’s Republic of China, Vol. 9, Jan. 1, 1974–. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Urgent; sent for information.↩
- Tab A is a copy of Solomon’s February 5 memorandum, Document 69.↩