Cable from the Chinese Embassy in India, 'Report on Khrushchev-Nehru Talks in Calcutta'

From the Station in India

Status: Extremely Urgent, Advance Dispatch

6 March 1960

Report on Khrushchev-Nehru Talks in Calcutta

[To] The Foreign Ministry:

Comrade Yefimov, the Soviet Union’s cultural attaché to India, told Xinhua reporters yesterday that Khrushchev and Nehru met twice for talks in Calcutta, both very briefly: once for 45 minutes, and the other for about an hour. The main subjects of conversation were Khrushchev’s impressions from visits to various Southeast Asian countries, and Indo-Soviet relations. Khrushchev did not raise the issue of Sino-India relations, so Nehru did not have the opportunity to speak of it, but Nehru wished Khrushchev to delay his departure from Calcutta by three hours, saying he would like to talk with Khrushchev once more. Khrushchev, however, politely declined with the excuse that arrangements had already been made for Afghanistan; the Soviets guessed that Nehru wanted to keep Khrushchev there to discuss Sino-Soviet relations. Also discussed in the Khrushchev-Nehru talks was a meeting of leaders of large Asian nations, but the specifics remain uncertain.

Yefimov said that Khrushchev told Soviet comradeshe was very happy that Premier Zhou had responded to his letter. Also, Premier Zhou’s letter was issued justwhen Khrushchev was meeting with Sukarno. Sukarno told Khrushchev he welcomed the Premier’s letter.

Please send a copy of this letter to Xinhua Press.

[Chinese] Embassy in India

6 March 1960