Additional Instructions Regarding the Sino-American Ambassadorial Talks at Geneva

Additional Instructions regarding the Sino-American Ambassadorial Talks at Geneva

1. The previous plan was formulated based on the assumption that the first meeting would take place on 21 July. Thus, some of the steps were designed to coordinate with the Four-Power Conference. Now that the Four-Power Conference is over, these items for coordinating with the Four-Power Conference are no longer necessary. Thus, our policy for the talks, which are scheduled to take place on 1 August, is: to intensify pressure on the United States; to strive to resolve some issues so as to make preparations for higher-level Sino-American talks for relaxing and eliminating tension in the Taiwan area. This meeting should not impede but rather will aid the mediation efforts of the Soviet Union, Britain, and India toward improving Sino-American relations.

2. Regarding our concrete measures at the meeting, we should still propose two agendas for the talks at the first meeting: (a) The return of civilians from both sides to their respective countries; (b) To begin the preparatory stage for China’s proposal at Bandung that China and the US should sit down and talk about relaxing and eliminating tensions in the Taiwan area. But we should modify some of the specific steps, as the Four-Power Conference is over. If the US representative is not authorized to discuss Agenda II, we should still announce it to the media. But we don’t have to announce it immediately after the first day’s meeting.

3. The policy of not touching on US military personnel remains unchanged. But we may articulate it differently—[we may] not say that we do not have the right to touch on the issue, rather say that the issue needs special treatment.

4. In the original plan, it states that if the US representative shows willingness to discuss this matter, we plan to voluntarily notify the US at the second meeting that the Chinese government has granted nine US nationals exit permits and released three convicted US civilians who behaved well before completing their jail time. In order to gain the initiative at the talks, we may notify the US side of the situation of all Americans in China and the news regarding exit permits for the nine convicted US nationals and the release of three condemned Americans (two being freed before completing jail time and one released when jail time served). We don’t have to wait for the second meeting.

5. Please have the formalities completed by 31 July regarding the exit permits for the nine US nationals and three Americans to be freed. They should be notified individually, and should choose their own date of departure…For the purposes of external propaganda work, we should issue a press release at the time of exit of the three Americans freed.