CCP Central Committee:
We request that you convey to [Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) Prime Minister] Comrade Ho Chi Minh the process of the discussion at the foreign ministers meeting in Berlin1 of the representatives from the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, the United States, Britain, France, and other related countries holding a conference in Geneva on 26 April 1954 (which, in addition to discussing the Korea question, will also discuss the question of restoring peace in Indochina). Previously we already informed you that “other related countries” in Indochina, according to our understanding, should be the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the three puppet states: [Chief (Quoc Truong)] Bao Dai's [State of] Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

We know that the Vietnamese friends are concerned about the convening of the Geneva Conference, and whether they will attend the conference. We believe that the CCP Central Committee will agree to our opinion.

As far as the position of France at the Geneva conference, as well as that of the United States and Britain, is concerned, we do not have much material at the present time. As for how we should use this conference to make it favorable to the Vietnamese people, we are very much willing to learn the opinions of the Vietnamese friends.

Communist Party of the Soviet Union

1. Editor's Note: The 1954 Berlin Conference, between the foreign ministers of the US, UK, France, and the USSR, was convened on 25 January 1954. It was intended to address questions regarding East-West tensions and the reunification of Germany. The announcement to hold the Geneva Conference was made in a quadripartite communique of 18 February.