Office of the Historian

86. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bohlen) to the Department of State1

Moscow, February 5, 1955—1 p.m.

1243. Press today reports reception British Ambassador (Embtel 1241 repeated London 220)2 and also Indian Chargé with no indication purpose of visits.

As was to be expected (Embtel 1237)3 Moscow is falling in line and supporting CPR position on competence SC. This is only rational explanation of shift from January 31 statement (Embtel 1207)4 to that of yesterday that positions of US and UK in SC made impossible “lawful and impartial consideration by SC”. Soviet switch likewise seems to confirm view that adamant Chinese refusal to attend SC deliberations even for consideration Soviet resolution had not been anticipated by Soviet Government.

It is doubtful that Soviets could have any illusions that conference by-passing UN, excluding Nationalist China and in composition suggested would be acceptable to west powers, particularly US.

It is obviously a play for neutralist Asian nations, particularly India, and also in hope causing division between US and UK. In this connection it has been noted that Soviets have made quite a point of [Page 218] Great Britain’s position in this matter and have sought to play up to specific British feelings. This was noted in Molotov’s preliminary comment to British Ambassador on occasion his first call on January 28, that without British support US would not have adopted its present position, a theme which has since been intermittently picked up in Soviet press comment.

Soviet proposal therefore does not seem to be a serious move towards settlement Formosan question and is primarily of propaganda nature in support of CPR. It does, however, also reflect continuing Soviet concern over Formosa issue and desire to keep its finger in pie.

Bohlen
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/2–555. Secret. Received at 7:19 a.m. Repeated to London for information.↩
  2. Telegram 1241 from Moscow, February 4, reported that Molotov had that day given Hayter a statement supporting Peking’s rejection of the Security Council’s invitation and proposing that the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and India should take the initiative in convening a conference of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China, India, Burma, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Ceylon, to be held in February in Shanghai or New Delhi, to consider the problem of Taiwan and the offshore islands. (Ibid., 793.00/2–455) The text of the statement is in Documents on International Affairs, 1955, pp. 450–452.↩
  3. Document 81.↩
  4. Document 65.↩