Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, General; The United Nations, Volume I

501.AA/7–1147: Telegram

The Ambassador in China ( Stuart ) to the Secretary of State

secret
urgent

Nanking , July 11, 1947—9 p.m.

1508. ReDeptel 834, July 8, 3 p.m. Foreign Office states it is not yet prepared to discuss its views on applications for membership to United Nations with exception of Mongolian Peoples Republic but will do so in the next few days and advise Embassy.¹

Foreign Office states that Chinese delegate to Security Council has already been instructed to vote against admission of Outer Mongolia on the grounds that the recent Peitashan incident² clearly indicates Outer Mongolia is at present incapable of acting as an independent sovereign nation. Vice Minister added that Chinese delegate had already informed American delegate to Security Council of Chinese views and had received assurances that the US would take a similar stand.

Stuart

1. Regarding Outer Mongolia, the Department on July 10 had received a message from the Chinese Embassy “as of from the Chinese Foreign Office,” as follows:

   “The question of the admission of Outer Mongolia to the United Nations may arise again in the near future. Recently Outer Mongolia has shown no indication of any disposition to accept its responsibilities under the United Nations charter and China would therefore strongly oppose Outer Mongolia’s admission to the United Nations. China hopes that the United States will maintain its previous position of opposition to the admission of Outer Mongolia.” (501.AA/7–1047)

2. For documentation regarding this matter, see Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. vii, pp. 546 ff. The incident involved an apparent penetration by Outer Mongolian troops 200 miles into Chinese territory in Sinkiang province to Peitashan, where the local garrison was subjected to a coordinated attack by ground and air elements.