Cable from the Foreign Ministry, 'Please Notify the Governments of the Receiving Countries of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and France'

Outgoing Telegram of Foreign Ministry

Before Sending: Has been read          

Approved by: Ji Pengfei

Sent: See the telegram title

Foreign Ministry Outgoing (64) January No.879

Grade: Ultra urgent & Prior

Footnote

Please Notify the Governments of the Receiving Countries of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and France

To the Embassies and Offices of the Charge d'Affaires in Foreign Countries and the Delegation in Xiangkhoang:

Foreign Affairs Bulletin X

1. [We] have already informed [you] that China and France have reached an agreement to establish diplomatic relations. Now France has informed some countries of this event and has revealed the timing of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and so on via newspapers. This message has been widely spread, and has become the focus of world opinion. Under such circumstances, we should properly inform some countries of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Beside the thirteen countries, including North Korea, Albania, North Vietnam, Romania, the Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Mongolia, East Germany, Cambodia, and Pakistan, we have decided to inform the United Arab Republic [Egypt], Ghana, Algeria, Morocco, Mali, Guinea, Cuba, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Ceylon, Burma, and Nepal.

2. After receiving this telegram, the embassies in the above-mentioned countries can make an appointment to meet the foreign minister or other officials of the receiving countries to inform them [of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France] according to the following text:

“I am, under the instructions of my government, to inform your government of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France:

After several months of contacts and consultations, the Chinese government and the French government have reached an agreement on the issue of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and have decided to issue a joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France respectively in Beijing and Paris on 27 January [1964]. The text of the communiqué is: the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of France have agreed to establish diplomatic relations. They thereby have agreed to exchange ambassadors within three months.

The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France is accomplished on the basis that France guarantees not to support the creation of “two Chinas.” In opposing the issue of “two Chinas,” the stance of the Chinese government is very clear and firm and does not allow for ambiguity. Because the text of the joint communiqué of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France is relatively simple, the Chinese government will publish a statement after the issuance of the joint communiqué to explain that the Government of the People’s Republic of China reached the agreement on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the French government as the sole legal government representing the Chinese people.”

For the mission to Xiangkhoang, please inform Laos according to the above text. If Mali and Guinea have been informed [of the above] by Premier Zhou [Enlai] during his visits, we do not need to give a special notice to them.

3. As for [our] external positions, prior to the establish of diplomatic relations between China and France and the release of the joint communiqué, [we] will not take the initiative to talk with the press about this issue, but [we] will also not deny [this news]. If asked by the officials of the receiving countries and diplomatic personnel of those countries whom we have informed, we should tell them that China and France have reached an agreement on the establishment of diplomatic relations, [but] the substance and content [of this information] should vary with different persons. After the above mentioned embassies inform the above mentioned countries, please report back to the Foreign Ministry immediately if there are any important responses.

Foreign Ministry

22 January 1964

Revision Notice:

The sentence “if France does not substantially support the stance of creating ‘two Chinas’” in the Foreign Affairs Bulletin IX should be changed to “if the French government substantially sticks to the stance of not supporting ‘two Chinas.’”

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Already Sent Copies to: Office of Premier, the Foreign Office (1), Li Tao (1), the Organization Department of the Central Committee (1), the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee (1), the International Department of the Central Committee (1), Investigation Department of Central Committee (1), Intelligence Department (1), Ministry of Public Security (1), Ministry of Defense (1), Ministry of Foreign Trade (1), Cultural Committee (1), State Science and Technology Commission (1), General Staff (7), Wu Lengxi and Zhu Muzhi

Chen [Yi], Zhang [Hanfu], Ji [Pengfei], Zeng [Yongquan], Meng, Han [Nianlong], Liu [Xiao], General Office (4), Office of Foreign Visits, departments of Foreign Ministry, Foreign Affairs Institute, Service Bureau, Boundary Office, Cadre Training Class, Secretary Office and ambassadors. To send 6 more copies while keeping each copy.

Total number: 63 copies printed

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Copied at 16:30 on 22 January     printed at 21:40 on 22 January

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Outgoing 879