Repeat Washington No. 115.

Reid and I think that the most important point which emerged during our informal consultations with the United States and United Kingdom delegations yesterday concerning the forthcoming assembly was the clear indication on the part of the United States delegation of a firm and uncompromising attitude in regard to the question of Chinese representation. We had thought they might say that they would not themselves vote for seating the Chinese Communists but would acquiesce in whatever decision was taken by the Assembly. Instead of this, they said that it was of the greatest importance to them that the Chinese Nationalists should continue to represent China and that the Chinese Communists should not be seated. They said that this was because of the situation in Korea, which made it impossible for them to adopt now the somewhat more flexible attitude they had previously adopted. We pressed them for a further explanation of their new position, and it then became clear that their main concern was to avoid undermining in any way the position of Tsiang in the Security Council. They pointed out that on two occasions Tsiang's vote had been essential in order to get a majority for an important resolution, and so long as the situation in Korea remained unresolved, they were unwilling to contemplate losing Tsiang's vote. We asked them whether this meant that they would expect the Assembly to regard the representatives from Nationalist China in exactly the same way as in previous years, that is, giving them a vice-presidency and their share of other offices. The Americans said they had not yet thought of this aspect of the question, but I judge that they will probably wish to have the Chinese delegation treated exactly as if nothing had happened in China.

2. This led to a general discussion of the problem of relations with China, in the course of which the British made no comment whatever. Reid and I said that no decision had been taken by the Canadian Government in regard to its policy on China at the Assembly and that we had no instructions on the subject. We then tried to put the discussion on an informal and exploratory basis, and mentioned some of the difficulties which exist for the Western Powers because of our present relations with China, seeking to find out from the Americans present whether they were concerned about these problems or whether they had any idea about a solution.

This effort was unproductive. The best we could get from them was the remark that once the situation in Korea had been cleared up, it might be possible for them to review their policy in regard to China.

3. As the meetings were breaking up, word was brought in concerning the Chinese Communist appeal to the Security Council.²⁴ We saw the Americans later in the evening, and they said that they had no inclination to dodge this issue and were prepared to take on the discussion in the Security Council. We asked them what policy they would adopt in regard to granting a hearing for the Communist Chinese, who would now appear in the role of complainants. They said they had not yet decided on a policy in this regard.

4. In the course of the discussions we also mentioned your proposal that a small Commission including a majority of Asian States should be set up to recommend a long term settlement in Korea, and we read them a section from your Vancouver speech on this subject²⁵ The United Kingdom officials present had no comment to make on the suggestion. The American reaction was unfavourable. They indicated alarm over the prospect of a Committee with a majority of Asians making recommendations on a Korean settlement, and their alarm was not diminished by the suggestion that the chairmanship of the Commission should be given to an Indian.

5. A full report† of the discussions is now being prepared and will be brought back to Ottawa by Reid. It seems to me that we should now consider whether we should formulate your proposal about Korea in a draft resolution, and tell the Americans and British that we were proposing to offer it to the Assembly in connection with the Korean item.

²⁴Voir le document 280./See Document 280.

²⁵Voir le document 97./See Document 97.