101. Telegram From the Ambassador in the Republic of China (Rankin) to the Department of State1
463. Following is text of letter dated 17th from Foreign Minister Yeh to Secretary Dulles handed to me at 10:30 this morning by Yeh:
“Dear Mr. Secretary:
My government views with concern the recent development in the Geneva talks on repatriation, especially the reported readiness of [Page 176] the United States to issue an agreed declaration to renounce the use of force generally and specifically in the Taiwan area as a parallel action to that to be taken by the Chinese Communists.
We have every reason to believe such a declaration, even though made unilaterally by the two parties, will inevitably be construed by the Communists and looked upon by the people on the mainland of China as well as the free world in general as a further step toward the United States recognition of the Chinese Communist regime. It would serve to enhance the Peiping regime’s prestige both internally and externally to the detriment of the international position of the Republic of China. It might further impair the morale of the people of free China both in Taiwan and abroad and particularly of her fighting forces, which has already been unfavorably affected since the outset of the Geneva talks.
The explicit renunciation of the use of force by the United States in the Taiwan area would seem to imply that the United States has been using force aggressively in that area and would also tend to confirm the often repeated Communist charges that the United States had committed aggression in Taiwan. It would in effect be tantamount to an admission on the part of the United States to equal responsibility for the existing situation in the Taiwan Strait, for which the Chinese Communists should and must be held solely responsible.
It may be recalled that Chou En-lai, in his speech before the so called Peoples Congress in Peiping on July 30, 1955, dwelt at length on the “liberation” of Taiwan by “peaceful means” [as] an alternative to “war” or use of force. It is apparent that the Chinese Communists have for months been anticipating the occasion to propose a political settlement on Taiwan with the United States. It is our estimate that the Chinese Communist representative in Geneva will, by agreeing to the United States proposal for renouncing the use of force, seek to open negotiations for a political settlement on Taiwan.
In view of the above circumstances, the Chinese Government earnestly hopes that the United States Government can see its way to refrain from entering into the arrangement of an agreed declaration mentioned above and to reject any proposal to negotiate for a political settlement on Taiwan which may be brought up by the Chinese Communists. Any discussion on such a proposal will seriously involve the rights, claims and essential interests of the Republic of China.”
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 993.61/11–1755; Secret. Received at 12:34 p.m. Repeated for information to Geneva for Johnson.↩