Telegram from Chinese Embassy in Morocco to Foreign Ministry, 'Request Foreign Ministry Learn About Braganca Situation Through Embassy in India'

Telegram Received by the Foreign Ministry
Status: Very Urgent
From the Station in Morocco

28 November 1961

Request Foreign Ministry Learn About Braganca Situation Through Embassy in India

Foreign Ministry:

Today Braganca, a member of India's Goan People's Party and resident representative of the Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies (the Conference’s permanent secretariat is located in Rabat) came to our embassy to visit Attache Gong, bringing a letter of introduction signed by Kakodkar, the general secretary of the Goan People's Party. The letter of introduction stated: The Goan People' Party very much wishes to have contact with the Chinese government while conducting the struggle against imperialism, and to get support from China; however, owing to the special circumstances created by the Indian government's relationship with China and to the tight supervision of the Indian authorities, the People’s Party has no way of contacting the Chinese in India. Therefore the People’s Party Central Committee has authorized Party member Braganca to make contact with the Chinese ambassador in Morocco, to discuss the relevant issues.

According to Braganca, he obtained this letter when he went to India in October to participate in a symposium on Portuguese colonies' issues. Regarding the question of support, Braganca said: 1) China can help Goa train cadres; 2) Invite Goa to send a delegation to China for an educational visit; 3) Invite Kakodkar to visit China; 4) Economic aid, etc. We did not respond in any definite way to the issues Braganca raised, with the exception of the third item, to which a response had already been given in accordance with the Ministry's cabled instructions of 16 September; [we] only expressed general support for the struggle against Portugal.

It was apparent from Braganca's words that he has a certain understanding of Nehru's reactionary nature, but in a few meetings we have not yet gained a full an exact picture of his politics, and it is difficult to say for certain whether [he] is completely reliable. We hope that the Ministry, after learning more through the embassy in India, will send us directives on whether to continue contacts with this person on Goan issues, and how to answer the questions raised.

Embassy in Morocco

28 November 1961