Cable from the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, 'Reactions to China's Testing of an Atomic Bomb (6)'

Received by the [Chinese] Foreign Ministry

Level: Urgent

Received from the Vietnam Desk

Foreign Ministry Incoming (64) You (1052) 

Reactions to China's Testing of an Atomic Bomb (6)

To the Foreign Ministry

Le Duan, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vice Premier Phạm Hùng and Vice Minister of Foreign Trade Ly Ban met our shipping business representative from the Ministry of Transport based in Haiphong and all our experts based in Haiphong and congratulated us for the successful nuclear test. After the meeting, they hosted us with an intimate but informal dinner.

During the meeting, Le Duan said that China’s successful test of an atomic bomb was of great encouragement to Vietnam’s struggle, and that our victory was their victory. The second thing to be happy about was Khrushchev’s fall from power. Credit had to go to China and as a matter of fact, the Chinese party. Khrushchev’s fall from power was only the first step in our fight against anti-revisionism. Le Duan said that he had debated with Khrushchev about the nuclear issue when they met in Moscow, in which they had argued about why China could not have nuclear weapons. Now that China finally has its own atomic bombs, this is China’s victory and it has also brought joy to Vietnam.

Le Duan also expressed concern toward our experts and wished them well.

[Chinese] Embassy in [North] Vietnam

20 October 1964