Office of the Historian

761.93/2–2745

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Chinese Affairs (Vincent)

[Washington,] March 1, 1945.

With reference to the attached telegram,17 CA concurs in the Embassy’s opinion that Chinese plans for a Sino-Soviet Treaty of Amity are unrealistic while the Communist-Kuomintang problem remains unsettled and the Chungking ruling groups maintain their attitude of strong distrust of the U. S. S. R.

I recall my informal conversations some 2½ years ago with high Chinese officials on the subject of Sino-Soviet relations. At that time the general Chinese response to the idea of a Sino-Soviet Treaty of Amity was that there was no use entering into a treaty with a nation that could not be trusted. The apparent change in attitude may no doubt be ascribed to the improved position of the U. S. S. R. in the past 2½ years.

  1. No. 306, February 27, 11 a.m., from the Chargé in China, p. 856.↩