Huang Zhen, Mesyastev, and Xu discuss the flight of Xinjiang residents to the Soviet Union and controversy surrounding the Soviet government's inconsistencies in dealing with illegal border crossings.
August 23, 1962
Report and Request for Instructions on the Reply to the Memorandum Submitted by the Government of the Soviet Union on the Massive Illegal Exodus of Residents from Xinjiang dated 9 August
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[Illegible handwritten text]
Report and Request for Instructions on the Reply to the Memorandum Submitted by the Government of the Soviet Union on the Massive Illegal Exodus of Residents from Xinjiang dated 9 August
[To] Vice Premier Chen [Yi] and Premier Zhou [Enlai]:
As per the Premier’s instructions, we have drafted a reply to Government of the Soviet Union’s memorandum on the massive illegal exodus of Xinjiang residents dated August 9. All of the exchanges between China and the Soviet Union have so far been conducted in the form of memoranda. This reply, however, is drafted in the form of a note according to the Premier’s instructions.
As the Premier’s instructions, the reply shall indicate that the conduct of the Soviet Union was a kind of subversion. In this spirit, we have listed a series of facts to substantiate our arguments, including the Yining [Gulja] riots and the Soviet Union’s direct instigation of the exodus, both of which had previously never been mentioned to the Soviet Union. Regarding the requests of the Soviet Union, we consider that stopping all subversive activities in order to maintain the peace of the border should be proposed, but it is not recommended to talk about the continued closure of the border.
Regarding the issue of Soviet nationals, at present about 1,000 Soviet nationals in China have been approved to return to their country but the Soviet Union has not issued visas for them. [As a result] they often cause disturbances. Xinjiang has recommended that our ministry negotiate with the Soviet Union regarding their return home. We consider it necessary to mention this issue in the reply. The Section of Consulates may further negotiate with the Soviet Union embassy and consulate on the detailed measures.
The Premier also instructed that it is necessary to request in the reply that the Soviet Union relocate its Xinjiang-based business representative office to Beijing. As the Soviet Union also has commercial personnel in Huoerguosi [Horgos] and Tuoyun who are responsible for checking our exported goods upon delivery, [so] it is also necessary to resettle them. These proposals for the Soviet Union, as well as the reasoning behind them, have been approved by Vice Minister Li Qiang of the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
Please review and approve the foregoing draft reply.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
23 August 1962
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivers a draft reply to a Soviet Union memorandum, as requested by Zhou, regarding illegal border crossings.
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PRC FMA 118-01767-02, 32-33. Translated by 7Brands.
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2013-10-10
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