Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Volume III, China, Microfiche Supplement

832. Telegram 366 to Geneva¹

Washington, October 8, 1957, 4:04 p.m.

366. For Johnson.

Guidance for October 10 meeting:

1. Take Wang to task for increasingly evident Chinese Communist responsibility for preventing progress in talks. On September 10, 1955 they declared all Americans entitled expeditiously exercise right return. Instead of carrying out promptly this public commitment, they adopted specious argument that term QUOTE expeditiously UNQUOTE must be interpreted in light length sentence, behavior of prisoners. At last two meetings Wang even argued that Agreed Announcement applied only to QUOTE ordinary UNQUOTE not QUOTE offending UNQUOTE Americans. Plain words of announcement do not support this view and Wang well knows that at time announcement issued, U.S. concerned only about prisoners, hence announcement must have referred to them or been meaningless.

2. Communist responsibility for lack progress also apparent from refusal renounce use force. Reciprocal renunciation force applicable to Taiwan area merits full attention for whatever time necessary attain goal of terminating military threat to peace that area. Interests of two countries and world not served by introduction of subsidiary issues.

3. If Wang raises question newsmen’s travel and his draft agreed announcement of September 12, reaffirm U.S. position applications individual newsmen for visas will be considered on individual case basis. If Communist China wishes approve or deny newsmen visas on group or blanket basis, that matter its choice. U.S. will act in accordance its own laws, subjecting applications individually to criteria specified in law.

4. If Wang presses for yes or no answer on principle reciprocity and equality or for assurance one or several Chinese Communist newsmen would be admitted, remind him U.S. newsmen applied individually for visas, that he himself stated these applications would be considered individually and we are only asking that Chinese Communist newsmen do the same. U.S. cannot approve visas in advance on blanket or hypothetical basis.

5. Your 190 considered in formulating above.

Dulles

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/10–457. Confidential; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Osborn and Clough; cleared by Robertson and Jones and in S/S.