May 6, 1951
Memorandum of Conversation, Soviet Ambassador N. V. Roshchin with CC CCP Secretary Liu Shaoqi
This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation
From the diary of Top Secret
N. V. Roshchin 6 May 1951
No. 65
Memorandum of Conversation
USSR Ambassador to the PRC N. V. Roshchin with CC CCP Secretary com. Liu Shaoqi
Today at my request I was received by Liu Shaoqi.
[A discussion of the PRC economy and domestic situation follows]
Furthermore, Liu Shaoqi said that the Chinese troops had begun a serious attack in Korea. The battles of recent days show that the American defense is not solid enough, as a result of which the Chinese units are moving forward successfully. However, it is also clear that the Americans do not want to be drawn into serious battles, so that as soon as the Chinese units try to strike them, they retreat south taking their equipment and arms with them.
Regarding the possibility of Chiang Kai-shek’s [Jiang Jieshi's] troops landing on the mainland, Liu Shaoqi pointed out that despite the noise [shumikha] of the Americans and Kuomintang [Guomindang] on this matter, it is hardly to be expected that Jiang Jieshi would undertake such an adventure. However, it would be good if they did land on the continent. We would strike them hard and a significant portion [of the troops] would simply come over to our side.
Regarding Tibet, Liu Shaoqi said that the Tibetan delegation is coming to Beijing. Some members are already in the capital. We will hold negotiations with this delegation in order to introduce Chinese troops into Tibet peacefully. Preliminary conversations show that the Tibetan delegation’s position does not permit the introduction of Chinese troops into Tibet.
With a population of two million Tibet cannot put up any serious resistance to the PLA [People’s Liberation Army]. But if Nepal, a country with a warlike [voinstvennyi] population of five million that serves in the Indian and other armies, interferes in the Tibetan question, the matter could become complicated.
On this, the conversation ended.
Embassy Advisor com. T. F. Skvortsov was present during the conversation.
USSR Ambassador to the PRC
[signed]
N. V. Roshchin
Conversation between Soviet Ambassador to the PRC Roshchin and Liu Shaoqi regarding the Kuomintang and American intervention in Korea, and the question of Chinese relations with Tibet.
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