VKP(b) CC Politburo decision with approved orders to Vyshinsky in New York and Roshchin in Beijing with message for Zhou Enlai

ALL-UNION COMMUNIST PARTY (bolsheviks), CENTRAL COMMITTEE

No. P79/167 To Malenkov, Molotov, Gromyko

December 1950

Excerpt from protocol No. 79 of the meeting of Politburo CC
VKP(b) [Central Committee, All-Union Communist Party (bolshevik)]

Decision of 5 December 1950
167.- Telegram of Comrade Vyshinsky No. 802.

To confirm the draft orders to Comrade Vyshinsky (attachment 1) and to Comrade Roshchin (attachment 2).

TOP SECRET

Attachment 1
to p.167(op) pr. PB No. 79
New York

To Vyshinsky

802. We are answering point by point.

Regarding point one. We agree with your proposal. However, you should not make the stipulations you proposed, that the Assembly has the right to review a question of aggression if the Security Council turns out not to be in a condition to fulfill its obligation regarding supporting peace. Such a stipulation would mean that we recognize as having legal force the resolution of November 3, which the Soviet delegation declared unlawful, as a contradiction of the UN Charter.

Regarding point two. We agree with your proposal. As for the invitation to a representative of the Chinese People's Republic to participate in the discussion of this question in the General Assembly, do not introduce a proposal about the invitation before you receive from us an additional order, which we will give after the government of the PRC makes it clear whether it considers it advisable for its representative to participate in the discussion of this question in the General Assembly.

Regarding point three. We agree with your proposal.

By order of Instantsiia [i.e., Stalin].
A. GROMYKO

TOP SECRET

Attachment 2
to p.167(op) pr.PB No. 79
Peking

Soviet Ambassador

Urgently visit Zhou Enlai and communicate to him the following.

According to the report of Comrade Vyshinsky, the Americans will introduce into discussion at the [UN General] Assembly a question under the heading “The Intervention in Korea of the Central People's Government of the Chinese People's Republic.”

The Soviet delegation will express opposition to the inclusion of this question on the agenda. If it nonetheless is included, the Soviet Government needs to know the opinion of the government of the Chinese People's Republic—whether it considers it advisable or its representative to participate in the discussion of the question raised by the Americans in the General Assembly. If Zhou Enlai asks what the point of view of the Soviet Government is on this question, you should answer that in this case, as well as in the case of the discussion of MacArthur's report in the Security Council, the Soviet Government considers it more advisable that the Chinese government not take part in the discussion of this question in the General Assembly.

Telegraph the results.

A. Gromyko