Cable from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, 'Receiving the Prime Ministers of India and Other Countries and Attending the Asian-African Conference'

Central People’s Government Foreign Ministry Telegram

To: Indonesia

Priority: Rush

Forwarded: Zhou [Enlai], Deng [Xiaoping], Chen Yi, Xi Zhongxun, Foreign Ministry (Chen, Ru)

Additional Note: After Wu Qiao corrected [this document], it was sent to Premier. Signed off by Zhang Hanfu on December 6th

Content: Receiving the Prime Ministers of India and Other Countries and Attending the Asian-African Conference

Ambassador Huang [Zhen];

The cable dated 15 November was received.

The prime ministers of India, Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon have traveled to Indonesia to attend the conference of five prime ministers. When you receive the invitation, attend the welcome and parting [ceremonies] as well as all related functions.

The five premier conference is basically the preparatory meeting for the Afro-Asian Conference. After the United States, Great Britain, and France signed the Paris Agreement, they have continued to produce tension, in addition to increasing pressure and conspiracy activities against countries of South East Asia. Towards the currently being formulated Afro-Asian Conference, they will most likely utilize various sorts of methods to force the Afro-Asian Conference to comply with the interests of imperialism. Therefore, we must conduct a sharp struggle against imperialism, and eagerly work on South East Asian countries, as well as the peaceful and neutral countries of Asia and Africa. We are working towards the direction of trying to gain participation in the Afro-Asian Conference in the interest of peace. Chairman Mao [Zedong] told the Prime Minister of Burma U Nu on December 1st hat China is willing to attend the Afro-Asian Conference. On October 20th, Premier Zhou also expressed the same view to [Jawaharlal] Nehru. According to what U Nu told Chairman Mao, he and [Jawaharlal] Nehru both agree to the participation of China, but it is pending a decision by the five prime ministers’ conference. If the Indonesian government converses with you about the Afro-Asian Conference, you can also express China’s willingness to participate.

[We] hope you can pay attention to Indonesia’s attitude towards the five prime ministers’ conference and towards inviting us to the Afro-Asian Conference. Study and report back to ministry at any time.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

9 December 1954