Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 19 February 1958

…19 February 1958

I was present at a session of the Supreme People's Assembly.

Zhou Enlai gave a 30-minute speech at the morning session. Before his speech Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly Choe Won-taek greeted the PRC government delegation. The deputies and those present at the session warmly and cordially welcomed the representatives of the great Chinese people.

Zhou Enlai basically laid out the positions expressed in the joint Statement of the DPRK and PRC governments signed this morning in his speech. Touching on the talks between the government delegations which have concluded Zhou Enlai noted, "We saw with great happiness that our points of view completely coincide on all the issues discussed". Zhou Enlai said, that two events having historical importance occurred in the second half of 1957: the successful launch of two satellites by the Soviet Union and the Conferences of representatives of Communist and worker's parties in Moscow which adopted a Declaration and Peace Manifesto. Dwelling on the postwar achievements of the DPRK he noted the enormous successes of the Korean people in socialist development, its labor activity and political experience, and its solidarity around the Korean Worker's Party and government. He also noted the enormous aid of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries given Korea and China in the cause of socialist development and also both the mutual aid and support given by these countries to one another. Stressing the need to continue and continuously develop relations of mutual cooperation between the PRC and Korea, Zhou Enlai directed special attention to the mutual borrowing of experience in the cause of socialist development. Zhou Enlai said that one of the most important tasks of the Chinese government delegation's visit to the DPRK is to hold talks about the issue of the withdrawal of the Chinese people's volunteers from Korea in order to facilitate the realization of the proposals offered by the Korean government about this issue.

At the conclusion of his speech Zhou Enlai declared that in accordance with their international duty the Chinese people will if necessary continue as in the past to fight along with the Korean people in defense of the interests of the peoples of Korea and China, and we solemnly remind the American ruling clique that now the time has come to draw clear conclusions. Zhou Enlai ended his speech with the following words, "There is no force which can break the great and eternal friendship of the peoples of our countries".

After Zhou Enlai's speech the session considered the second question of the agenda, the decision of the session of the USSR Supreme Soviet and the proposals of the Soviet government about lessening international tension and preserving and strengthening peace in the entire world. Deputy Chairman of the KWP CC and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs commission Kim Chang-man gave a report. After the brief report he read out a draft resolution of the session of the Supreme People's Assembly which fully supports and approves of the aforementioned resolution of the USSR Supreme Soviet and the proposal of the Soviet government.

The session unanimously approved the draft resolution proposed by the commission on this issue.

Ri Dong-yong passed me and the other ambassadors the text of the joint Declaration of the government of the DPRK and the government of the PRC signed this morning. Then Ri Dong-yong said that the preparation of the Declaration was done in concert without any misunderstandings. We and the Chinese friends submitted the draft Declarations for consideration. Everything that is said in the Declaration about the withdrawal of the Chinese people's volunteers, with a small exception, was adopted in the wording proposed by the PRC government delegation.

In the evening I was present at the ballet, "The Tale of the Fortress of Sadosen" staged in honor of the Chinese government delegation.