7

CABLEGRAM TO CANBERRA

Jakarta, 7 January 1950

11. Secret Immediate

Your telegram No. 14.1 From Spender.

You may authorise Washington Embassy to inform the State Department:

(i) That the Australian Government does not propose to recognise the Mao Tse–Tung2 administration immediately;

(ii) That we shall keep them informed before altering our present decision.

2. In view of the imminence of United Kingdom and Pakistan statements of recognition you should pass foregoing to Washington by most immediate telegram.

[NAA: A1838, TS3107/33/1/1, i]

1 Document 6.

2 Mao Tse–tung, Chairman, Central People’s Government of the Republic of China.