New York, 10 October 1950
646. Top Secret
For the Prime Minister from Spender.
Now that the Korean War appears to be approaching its end and the debate in the United Nations has been completed,1 it seems to me that the stage of bargaining for the entry of the Communist Chinese by offers to stop the Korean War is over. In other words, the decks are clear for a new approach to the problem of Chinese representation on the United Nations. Connected with that problem are our relations with the Nationalist Government of China.
2. The first step should be to make it possible for the United States to move in the direction of a solution by loosening the grip which the Nationalists have on the General Assembly and on the United States public opinion. This would be the first move to get the Nationalists out. It is impossible, I think, to argue with any sense of the realities that they represent the people of the mainland of China or are ever likely to. In practice this move need not necessarily be accompanied by the admission of the People’s Government. It is in any event probably impracticable to expect the two steps to be taken together. Indeed, I think there is very much to be said in favour of taking two distinct and separate steps.
3. The taking of this first step might well be practicable if carefully handled, leaving a hiatus in Chinese representation which is not in my view inconsistent with the functioning of the United Nations. If it were, we would be in the impossible position of having to close it down whenever a revolutionary situation made representation of permanent member or indeed of any member of the Security Council impossible.
4. The possibility of getting rid of the Nationalists, and the time is approaching when this course seems desirable, may arise on the report of the Committee to be set up under the Canadian resolution as amended by us.2 My general line is to move towards this end and so leave the way open, if it is considered politic, for the admission at some later stage of the People’s Government. Just how and when to achieve this will be a matter for judgement when the report comes up, but it appears to me that the Nationalists are a phantom Chinese Government and do not represent China. At the same time, they could not in one act by replaced by the Communists as things are in the Assembly at the moment. Indeed, public opinion in the U.S.A. at present is such that it would not be easy to take even the first step suggested above.
5. Unless I hear to the contrary, I will assume that you approve of the course I intend to follow, namely, to prepare the way for unloading of the Nationalists as soon as practicable, leaving the way clear for the admission of the People’s Government later on. It is conceivable that quite a substantial time should be allowed to lapse before this later event is allowed to take place.
[DFAT: SPENDER–WATT 1950]
1 Following debate, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution on 7 October authorising UN forces to advance across the 38th parallel and establishing a United Nations Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea, consisting of Australia, Chile, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Turkey. The Commission was established to (i) assume the functions previously exercised by the United Nations Commission in Korea; (ii) represent the United Nations in bringing about the ‘establishment of a unified, independent and democratic government of all Korea’; and (iii) exercise ‘such responsibilities in connection with relief and rehabilitation in Korea as may be determined by the General Assembly after receiving the recommendations of the Economic and Social Council’.
2 Canada had co–sponsored a draft resolution intended to make the UN more effective in combating aggression, and had later been consulted by Australia over proposed amendments to a section of the resolution that called for a report on methods that might be used to maintain and strengthen international peace and security. The resolution was passed by the General Assembly on 3 November.