97. Telegram From Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson to the Department of State1
1122. 1. This morning’s meeting two hours and ten minutes.2 I opened on press leaks, referring to unsatisfactory nature his reply my letter,3 asking for reaffirmation our agreement on privacy talks, requested clarification statement his letter they considering issuing public statement, and notified him that if they did so I reserved my right promptly reply by public statement. There ensued one hour’s discussion on this subject with charges and counter-charges during which I referred to leaks by NCNA correspondent as source many press stories. Believe net result was reaffirmation agreement on privacy talks and do not believe he is going to issue any statement, but some indication decision is not entirely his.
2. He then made long prepared statement on their draft renunciation of force repeating usual arguments but somewhat stronger in tone, particularly as to their unwillingness ever to recognize “US encroachment in Taiwan”, status quo, or that Taiwan was not domestic matter. Somewhat more emphasis upon withdrawal of US forces from Taiwan area.
3. I then made short statement on implementation to effect by no stretch of imagination or interpretation can their performance be considered expeditious, and that this situation closely related to other [Page 171] aspects our talks and my government’s view of reliance which can be placed on commitments by his government.
4. I then made statement introducing our draft agreed announcement on renunciation of force, giving him copy. Meeting adjourned after few “preliminary comments” by him along expected lines.
5. He made no statement on trade embargo except for passing reference in his opening general statement to effect unacceptable that discussion of trade be conditioned upon issuance renunciation of force statement.
6. Next meeting Thursday, November 17.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/11–1055. Confidential; Priority; Limited Distribution.↩
- Johnson’s instructions for the meeting were sent to him in telegram 1162 to Geneva, November 8. It instructed him to tax Wang with a violation of their “secrecy agreement”, as represented by a November 7 article in the London Daily Worker which reported and quoted from the Chinese draft declaration on renunciation of force. It instructed him, provided that the Secretary concurred, to present the new U.S. draft which he had transmitted in telegram 1099 from Geneva (Document 94) and to inform Wang that he had no recourse but to release the U.S. draft with an explanatory statement after the meeting. It further instructed him to raise again the subject of PRC implementation of the agreed announcement and, if Wang raised the subject of “embargo”, to listen to what he had to say but refrain from substantive discussion. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/11–355) Johnson reported in telegram 1116 from Geneva, November 10, that the Secretary had instructed that he should not make any public release unless Wang did so. (Ibid., 611.93/11–1055)↩
- Johnson’s letter of November 8 to Wang protested the “violation of the understanding that we have with respect to the privacy of our meetings” represented by the Daily Worker story. Wang’s reply of November 10 denied any responsibility for the report, declared that U.S. official quarters and Western news agencies had on many occasions disclosed the content of their talks, and stated that in view of this, “the Chinese Government is therefore considering a clarification of its position to the public.” Johnson transmitted the text of his letter in telegram 1096 from Geneva, November 8, and the text of Wang’s letter in telegram 1115 from Geneva, November 10. (Ibid., 611.93/11–855 and 611.93/11–1055, respectively)↩