Telegram to Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs V.A. Zorin from Army General Antonov

  Secret

Copy # 1   

Ministry of Defense   Urgent
        USSR
GENERAL STAFF

TO THE ASSISTANT USSR MINISTER
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

  cde. V.A. Zorin

10 June 1955

#3/608702

To # 551/yuva

I believe that the establishment in Hanoi of a mixed Soviet-Chinese military mission for coordinating the development of the military forces of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam is not sensible.

At the present time, there are Chinese military advisors in the People’s Army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam who are well acquainted with the peculiarities of this country and its army and have many years of experience in assisting the Vietnamese comrades with the development of their military forces and the training and discipline of their troops.

As far as our assistance in the development of the military forces and the training of the troops of the DRV, the Vietnamese comrades can always receive from us the necessary consultation by way of the Headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army of China, as is the practice at the present time.

ARMY GENERAL [signature]
(ANTONOV)