Letter from Prime Minister Sastroamidjojo to Premier Zhou Enlai

Mr. Premier [Zhou Enlai]:

During the Bogor conference which was held between December 28^th and December 29^th 1954, the premiers of Burma, Ceylon, India, Pakistan and Indonesia all agreed to hold the Afro-Asian conference during April 1955. The governments of the five mentioned countries will jointly convoke the conference. The approximate duration of the conference is a week, from April 18^th to April 24^th of 1955.

As for the purpose of the Afro-Asian conference and other details your Excellency may consult the attached memo which I have the honor of attaching for your consideration. I especially wish to call your Excellency’s attention to the memo’s section 8 and 9 which mentions our general attitude towards the conference. This conference shall decide its own procedures and agendas.

I believe the information contained in the memo will allow your Excellency to possess a full understanding of the purpose and nature of the Afro-Asian conference. Therefore, based on section 5 of the memo; it is my honor on behalf of the convocators to invite your Excellency’s government to send a delegation to attend the conference.

The convocators would be very thankful if your Excellency may inform us of your government’s decision on whether or not to attend the conference as early as possible; preferably before February.

If it is as I hoped and your Excellency’s government decides to attend the conference, please inform me of the number of delegates that would attend. This would allow me to make necessary arrangements for their lodging and other logistical matters. I would be extremely thankful for this [information].

The united secretariat formed in Jakarta will provide relevant information regarding the conference and further elaboration, as well as status [reports] as required by the attendees.

Allow me this opportunity to send my highest regards to your Excellency.

Prime Minister of Indonesia,

Dr. Ali Sastroamidjojo

15 January 1955

Jakarta

Attachment: 1

[...]