Cable from the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, 'Pakistani President’s Exclusive Conversation with American Reporters'

Copy to: Zhang, Zhang [Wenji], Ji [Pengfei], Peng, He, Liu, Qiao, Chen, General Office, Soviet and European Affairs Department, Asian Affairs Department, European and African Affairs Department, American and Oceanian Affairs Department, Department of International Affairs, Information Department, Personnel Office, Protocol Department, Consular Affairs Department, General Affairs Department, Research Office, Treaty Committee, Party Committee

From the Desk of the Ambassador to Pakistan

Priority: Extremely Urgent

Received: 5 645

17 May 1956

Already Copied To: Chairman, [Liu] Shaoqi, [Zhou] Enlai, Zhu De, Chen Yun, [Peng] Dehuai, [Deng] Xiaoping, Chen Yi, [Xi] Zhongxun, [Yang] Shangkun, [Hu] Qiaomu, [Wang] Jiaxiang, [Li] Kenong, Lu Dingyi, Propaganda Department [of the CPC Central Committee], International Department [of the CPC Central Committee], Investigation Department, Military Intelligence, Deng Tuo, Yang Gang, [Wu] Lengxi, Steering Committee, [Li] Enqiu

Pakistani President’s Exclusive Conversation with American Reporters

[To the] Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

(1) According to United Press [International] [UPI] reports, Pakistani President [Iskander] Mirza issued a very foolish statement when meeting alone with UPI reporters the other day, [saying] that nothing in Pakistan’s stance and actions with regard to Communist China implies a lessening of its friendship with the United States, or a move toward neutrality in international affairs. The Pakistani prime minister, on his upcoming visit to China on 2 June, will not reduce [Pakistan’s] obligations toward the United States or other Western countries. [Mirza] said: “We abide by all [our] obligations to the United States; we have faith in the Southeast Asia Treaty and the Baghdad Pact, [and] we will abide by all the treaties [we’ve] signed. There are some who worry about what direction our government officials are moving in (implying moving toward a neutral line), but I feel there will be no danger in going to Beijing.”

(2) Mirza stated: The United States should face the facts and recognize China so as to ease the international situation. He said that although Pakistan is one of the Southeast Asia Treaty nations, and a close ally of the United States, it has still recognized Beijing; although it is difficult for the United States to recognize Beijing after having established Taiwan, it should not ignore this government that does, in fact, exist. If the United States recognized China, it could draw China away from the Russian Communist Party clique, [and] the United States and Britain could influence China to [take] a position more beneficial to the West in international affairs.

(3) Regarding the issue of Sino-Japanese trade, Mirza advocated increasing Sino-Japanese trade so that “Communist China will not have to rely completely on Russia.” He also holds that Japan should be accepted into the United Nations [to] make it more influential in Asian affairs.

[Chinese] Embassy in Pakistan

17 May 1956

Telegram received on the 17th, 7:10 p.m. Printed on the 18th, 7:50 a.m.