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December 9, 1949

Memorandum of Conversation, Charge d’Affaires of the Soviet Embassy with Chinese Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai on 9 December 1949

This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation

Top Secret, Copy No.1, 31 January 1950

 

 

 

Memorandum of Conversation

Charge d’affaires of the USSR Embassy in the PRC Com. P. A. SHIBAEV with PRC Foreign

Minister ZHOU ENLAI on 9 December 1949

 

On 9 December 1949 at 2300 I visited Zhou Enlai at his residence.

 

[Shibaev reports the intrusion of Chinese troops into Mongolia, but it is unclear if they are under GMD or Communist command. Zhou apologizes if they are Communist.]

 

During the talk Zhou Enlai told me that he had received information that at 1600 Mao Zedong and Ambassador Roshchin had crossed the Sino-Soviet border and that at 1800 Li Kenong and Tikhvinskii had started back to Beijing. Zhou added that the Chinese were thinking of publicizing Mao’s departure and his arrival in Moscow simultaneously on 17-18 December.

 

Then Zhou Enlai announced that he is expecting recognition of the PRC by India, Burma, and possibly England soon. I noted that today’s press had announcements about this and asked him if his statement was based on these or did he have more reliable sources. Zhou said that he had more reliable information from America and Hong Kong.

 

Charge d’affaires of the USSR Embassy in the PRC                                P. Shibaev

 

Description of a discussion between the Soviet Charge d'Affaires in the PRC and Zhou Enlai, covering Mao Zedong's trip to Moscow and recognition of the PRC by England, Burma, and India.


Document Information

Source

AVPRF, f. 0100, op. 43, por. 10, pap. 302, ll. 57-59. Translated by David Wolff.

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Original Uploaded Date

2013-11-14

Type

Diary Entry Memorandum of Conversation

Language

Record ID

118733

Original Classification

Top Secret

Donors

Leon Levy Foundation