Discussion between Zhou Enlai and Le Duan

ZHOU ENLAI AND LE DUAN^[1]

Beijing, 1971 [day and month not provided]

Zhou Enlai: We agree with your view that there are two possibilities with regard to the situation in Vietnam.  The first one is that the US will withdraw its troops from Vietnam so that Nixon will be re-elected and the second one is that Nixon will deceive public opinion to be re-elected.  After re-election, he will expand the war.  Therefore, our objective is to ask for a total withdrawal and if they do not comply, we will fight hard.  The other objective is to expose Nixon’s deceptive schemes.  We also agree with your demand in Paris that the US must announce a fixed timetable for the withdrawal of troops and your position of not recognizing the Thieu-Ky-Khiem government.

^{[1] Le Duan stopped in Beijing after a trip to the Soviet Union and met with Zhou Enlai. The Vietnamese side included Le Duan, Ha Huy Giap}, ^{and Ngo Thuyen.  Giap was a south-based revolutionary veteran who worked as a high-ranking official in the COSVN during the 1960s, together with Le Duan, Le Duc Tho, Pham Hung and Ung Van Khiem.  From 1954} he was ^{one of the leaders of the VWP CC Cultural and Ideological Committee.  Thuyen was a long-standing member of the ICP who was party secretary in Thanh Hoa province 1956-70, a Central Committee member 1966-76. He succeeded Ngo Minh Loan as ambassador to China 1970-74}, and was ^{Deputy Head of the VWP Control Commission from 1974. The Chinese side included Zhou Enlai, Zhang C}h^{unqiao, a CCP Politburo member, deputy head of the “Cultural Revolution Group,” and First Party Secretary of Shanghai City, Yao Wenyuan, a CCP Politburo member, a member of the “Cultural Revolution Group,” and Second Party Secretary of Shanghai City, and Fang Yi, head of the PRC External Economic Liaison Commission.}