The following are our views in the Asian-African Conference for your guidance in discussions which you might have with appropriate officers in the Ministry of External Affairs if an occasion presents itself.

2. We regard the Conference as a natural development arising out of the concern of the countries of the area to meet and discuss common problems, and significant of the increasing importance of the Asian countries.

3. A great deal of the eventual importance of the Asian-African Conference will lie in the reciprocal effect of the contacts between the Chinese and the non-Communist delegations. We very much hope that the effect of bringing the Chinese out of their dangerous tête-à-tête with Moscow will be salutary and may lead them to a better appreciation of the attitudes of other countries.

4. It is obvious, however, that this happy result will not be possible without the active leadership of India. The position of India at the political centre of the Conference will probably bring about a situation in which its attitude will influence strongly the attitudes of the other delegations. The role that India chooses to play will in effect decide whether the Conference is to be constructive or not. We hope, therefore, that the Indians will not overlook the fact that the results of the Asian-African Conference will inevitably affect public opinion in the West, particularly in the United States.

5. Should the Conference yield too easily to Chinese efforts to give the Asian-African Conference an anti-western complexion, in an effort to preserve good relations with the Chinese, this could very well lead to a hardening of United States policy in the Far East. The Asian-African Conference is possibly almost as important in its potential effect on the United States in a negative way as on the Chinese in a more positive way. This point could, I think, be emphasized to good advantage.

6. There is the possibility that a permanent organization will develop from the Asian-African Conference, and to a certain extent duplicate the work of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. We trust that any continuing organs set up at Bandung will not displace the Colombo Plan in its special field, nor tend to supplant the United Nations.

7. As there are likely to be representatives from North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia at the Conference, it is possible that Indochinese problems may be discussed. In this event, since India will be the only Commission member represented at the Conference, we will look to the Indian representative to explain what the various Commissions have been trying to do and we would appreciate being kept informed of this aspect of the discussions.

8. As regards Formosa, we realize that there will be a good deal of sympathy at the Conference for the Communist Chinese position, but we would hope nevertheless that many delegations would stress the desirability of seeking solutions to this problem as to other ones by negotiation rather than by force.