Move Toward Normalization of Relations, October 1974–July 1975


88. National Security Study Memorandum 212

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSSMs and NSDMs, 1974–77, NSSMs File, Box 2, NSSM 212. Top Secret; Sensitive. A copy was sent to the Chairman of the JCS.


89. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, OPI 10, Job 80–M01048A, Communist China, 280174–151174. Secret; Exdis; No Foreign Dissem/Controlled Dissem; No Dissem Abroad; Background Use Only. On October 26, William Colby sent this paper to Kissinger under a covering memorandum stating that a senior analyst in the Office of Political Research of the Directorate of Intelligence had prepared it. (Ibid.)


90. Study Prepared by the Ad Hoc Interdepartmental Regional Group for East Asia and the Pacific

Source: Ford Library, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–32, NSSM 212, U.S. Security Assistance to the Republic of China. Top Secret; Sensitive. This study was prepared in response to NSSM 212, Document 88. Scowcroft received the study under a November 12 covering letter from Habib, who chaired this interdepartmental group. (Ibid.) On January 10, 1975, Jeanne Davis sent it to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of State, and Director of Central Intelligence. The Chairman of the JCS also received a copy. (Washington National Records Center, OSD Files:FRC 330–78–0059, China (Nats), 1975, 091.3, 10 Jan 1975)


91. Backchannel Message From the Chief of the Liaison Office in China (Bush) to Secretary of State Kissinger

Source: Ford Library, KissingerScowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1974–1977, China Exchanges, Box 4, Unnumbered items (6). Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only; Immediate; Via Voyager Channel.


92. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Advisor, Kissinger Reports, Box 2, November 25–29, 1974, Kissinger’s Trip. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the Great Hall of the People. All brackets are in the original.


93. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Advisor, Kissinger Reports on USSR, China, and Middle East Discussions, Box 2, China Memcons and Reports, November 25–29, 1974, Kissinger’s Trip (1). Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Great Hall of the People. All brackets are in the original.


94. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger Reports on USSR, China, and Middle East Discussions, Box 2, China Memcons and Reports, November 25–29, 1974, Kissinger’s Trip. Top secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the Great Hall of the People. All brackets are in the original.


95. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger Reports on USSR, China, and Middle East Discussions, Box 2, China Memcons and Reports, November 25–29, 1974, Kissinger’s Trip. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place at Guest House 18. All brackets are in the original.


96. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger Reports on USSR, China, and Middle East Discussions, Box 2, China Memcons and Reports, November 25–29, 1974, Kissinger’s Trip. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place at Government Guest House 18. All brackets are in the original.


97. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger Reports on USSR; China, and Middle East Discussion, Box 2, China Memcons and Reports; November 25–29, 1974, Kissinger’s Trip. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the Great Hall of the People. All brackets are in the original.


98. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger Reports on USSR, China, and Middle East Discussions, Box 2, China Memcons and Reports, November 25–29, 1974, Kissinger’s Trip. No classification marking. The meeting took place in the Great Hall of the People.


99. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger Reports, Box 2, November 25–29, 1974, Kissinger’s Trip. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Meeting Room of Guest House Villa 18. All brackets are in the original.


100. Letter From President Ford to Republic of China Premier Jiang Jingguo

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Correspondence with Foreign Leaders, 1974–77, Box 1, China, Republic of. No classification marking. A typed note on the letter indicates that it was “dispatched” on January 9. On January 6, Kissinger sent the President a draft of this letter under a covering memorandum that stated, “I believe a specific reaffirmation of the Mutual Defense Treaty would not now be wise as the overall direction of our China policy is to seek to sustain Taiwan’s security by political rather than legalistic means. We have not specifically affirmed the treaty over the last six months, and we will want to move away from it over the long run as the process of normalizing our relations with the People’s Republic of China progresses.” (Ibid.)


101. Memorandum From Richard H. Solomon and W. Richard Smyser of the National Security Council Staff to Secretary of State Kissinger

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files, Box 4, East Asia, ROC. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent for action.


102. Letter From President Ford to People’s Republic of China Premier Zhou Enlai

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Correspondence with Foreign Leaders, 1974–77, Box 4, People’s Republic of China, Premier Chou En-lai. No classification marking. Solomon hand-delivered the letter to the PRC LO on January 23. On January 20, Solomon sent a draft to Kissinger with a recommendation that he send it to the President. (Ibid.) Kissinger sent it to the President on January 23 under an undated covering memorandum with the recommendation that Ford sign it.


103. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Ford

Source: Ford Library, National Security Advisor, Presidential Country Files for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Box 13, People’s Republic of China. Secret. Sent for information. All brackets are in the original. Ford initialed the memorandum. On January 21, Solomon sent Kissinger a draft of this memorandum. (Ibid.)


104. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, KissingerScowcroft West Wing Offices Files, 1969–1977, Box 5, China, unnumbered items, 2/5/75–2/28/75. Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Secretary’s office.


105. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Ford

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Correspondence with Foreign Leaders, 1974–77, Box 4, People’s Republic of China, Premier Chou En-lai. Confidential. Sent for information. Ford initialed this memorandum. On February 24, Solomon sent a draft of the memorandum to Kissinger with a recommendation that he sign and pass it on to the President. (Ibid.)


106. Memorandum From W. Richard Smyser and Richard H. Solomon of the National Security Council Staff to Secretary of State Kissinger

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Box 4, People’s Republic of China. Confidential. Sent for Action. Scowcroft initialed this memorandum.


107. Briefing Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Habib) to Secretary of State Kissinger

Source: National Archives, RG 59, E5412 Lot Files 77 D 255, Subject Files of the Office of ROC Affairs, 1951–75, Box 16, Letters, Memos, Etc., Pres. Chiang. Secret. Burton Levin, Director of the Office of ROC Affairs, drafted this memorandum on April 18.


108. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Habib), the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Gleysteen), the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Lord), and Richard H. Solomon of the National Security Council Staff to Secretary of State Kissinger

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger-Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1969–1977, Box 5, China, unnumbered items (12), 5/8/75–5/9/75. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action. Solomon initialed for Habib, Gleysteen, and Lord. A handwritten notation indicates that a copy was sent to Scowcroft. The memorandum is on National Security Council stationery.


109. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, KissingerScowcroft West Wing Offices Files, 1969–1977, Box 5, China, unnumbered items (12), 5/8/75–5/9/75. Secret; Sensitive. This meeting took place in the Department of State. All brackets are in the original.


111. Backchannel Message From the Chief of the Liaison Office in China (Bush) to President Ford

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, KissingerScowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1969–1977, Box 5, China, unnumbered items (13), 5/11–5/30/75. Secret; Via Voyager Channel. Sent through Scowcroft.


112. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Habib), the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Gleysteen), the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Lord), and Richard H. Solomon of the National Security Council Staff to Secretary of State Kissinger

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSC Staff for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, Convenience File, Solomon Chron File, Box 40, July 1–3, 1975. Top Secret; Sensitive; Completely Outside the System. Sent for action. The memorandum is on National Security Council stationery. All brackets are in the original.


113. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, KissingerScowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1969–1977, Box 5, China, unnumbered items (16), 7/6/75–7/23/75. Secret; Sensitive.


114. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSC Staff for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, Convenience Files, Box 39, Solomon Subject Files, PRCLO (3). Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place at the Department of State. All brackets are in the original. On July 3, Habib, Lord, and Solomon submitted a memorandum to Kissinger containing suggested talking points. (Ibid.)


115. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, KissingerScowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1969–1977, Box 5, China, unnumbered items (16), 7/6/75–7/23/75. Confidential; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the Madison–Monroe Room at the Department of State. All brackets are in the original.


116. Memorandum From Richard H. Solomon of the National Security Council Staff to Secretary of State Kissinger

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, KissingerScowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1969–1977, Box 5, China, unnumbered items (17), 8/4/75–8/31/75. No classification marking. Sent for action. Lord forwarded this memorandum to Kissinger on August 22 under a covering memorandum that advised the Secretary to approve “the following recommendations by number: 1 or 2, 4 and 6, but I would not move on any of them until we hear from the Chinese concerning dates for the two visits.” (Ibid.)