Washington, 25 September 1955
1076. Top Secret And Guard
M311
For the Prime Minister and Acting Minister2 from Casey.
I talked privately with Dulles about recognition of Peking. He says there is no chance of the United States recognising them before the end of 1956. He does not say they will do so then but that it will at least not be before then. He has spoken lately to the Belgian Foreign Minister3 who has agreed that Belgium will do nothing in this direction ‘for the present’ which Dulles believes means about a year. I said nothing about our having any such intention but introduced the subject as a query about United States intentions. I said there was a tendency on the part of some newspapers in Australia to press for recognition. I said that when recognition became a practical proposition we should work together particularly regarding the form of recognition which I assumed could only be in respect of Chinese Mainland with which he agreed. He also agreed that it was not certain that Peking would accept recognition on this limited basis.
[NAA: A1209, 1957/4832, i]
1 ’M’ is the prefix used by Casey for his messages from abroad as Minister for External Affairs.
2 Sir Philip McBride, Acting Minister for External Affairs.
3 Paul–Henri Spaak.