November 23, 1963
Cable from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, 'Request for Instructions on Supporting Korea’s Memorandum, “Ways to Resolve the Question of Korean Unification”'
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Request for Instructions on Supporting [North] Korea’s Memorandum,
“Ways to Resolve the Question of Korean Unification”
On 21 September [1963], the Chinese Ministry [of Foreign Affairs] provided the following views on supporting [North] Korea’s opposition to the discussion of the Korean issue at the United Nations General Assembly:
1. Corresponding with [North] Korea’s statement issued prior to the United Nations General Assembly’s discussion on the Korea issue, we expressed support for [North] Korea’s [position] via a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement and editorials published in the People’s Daily, Ta Kung Pao, and the Guangming Daily.
2. Corresponding with [North] Korea’s statement following the passage of a “resolution” on the Korean issue by the United Nations General Assembly, we expressed support [for North Korea] by issuing joint statements from the China Peace Committee and eight mass organizations and editorials published in the People’s Daily.
The above views have been approved by the Central Committee. The first item has already been implemented, while the second item is being prepared.
We received a telegram from the Chinese Embassy in [North] Korea saying that the [North] Korean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs [Kim Tae-hui] received envoys from various countries on the 22 [November]. [The Vice Minister] distributed a [North] Korean memorandum entitled “Ways to Resolve the Question of Korean Unification” in response to the United Nations General Assembly’s discussion of the Korea issue. He hoped that the governments [of the envoys] could provide support [to North Korea on this issue].
Apart from publishing the full text of the [North] Korean memorandum in the People’s Daily, we will have other newspapers and the Xinhua News Agency broadcast the full text in English. In response to the [North] Korean request, we will take appropriate action and are proposing the following two options:
1. Have the People’s Daily publish editorials expressing support (the People’s Daily can issue editorials after the United Nations General Assembly passes a “resolution” and [North] Korea issues their statement).
2. Or the People’s Daily can temporarily refrain from publishing editorials and have other organizations’ personnel express support [for North Korea] by separately talking to newspapers. These organizations include the China Peace Committee, the Sino-Korean Friendship Association, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the All China Women’s Federation, and the Communist Youth League of China.
We are more inclined towards the first proposal.
If this is appropriate, please give instructions.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
November 1963
Note: Eventually, the People’s Daily did issue a commentary [on this issue].
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposes two options to the Central Committee for demonstrating its support for North Korea's position that the Korean issue should not be discussed at the United Nations General Assembly. The Ministry recommends that the People's Daily publishes supportive editorials but also suggests that other organizations could express their support for North Korea to newspapers instead.
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