December 27, 1962
Cable from Dutch Embassy, Washington (Van Roijen), 27 December 1962
This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation
DATE OF DISPATCH: 27 December 1962
DATE OF RECEIPT: 28 December 1962
TO: Min[ister]. o[f]. F[oreign].A[ffairs]
FROM: Washington
Information copy sent to: New York
SECRET
During my talk with [US Secretary of State Dean] Rusk [vide my 1057] Rusk, in relation to his remark on a possible reorientation of Cuba toward China, revealed that he was factoring in new Chinese initiatives. These could occur as a direct reaction to possible events taking place in Havana, e.g., by a military demonstration against the off-shore islands. He however also saw the possibility of Chinese action in North Korea and furthermore singled out North Vietnam as a possible area for Chinese activities, which could cause the unstable situation in Laos to collapse. Such a Chinese initiative would, according to your colleague, face Moscow with the highly difficult choice of abandoning an ally or getting involved in a war. Therefore the relationship with Beijing is not only a “long-term worry” for Moscow but certainly also a short-term worry.
Regarding the possibility of action in Korea Rusk made clear that the US would in case of emergency this time not hesitate to use nuclear weapon at once.
Van Roijen 1058 ++
Van Roijen continues on the conversation he had with U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk from the last cable. Rusk believes Cuba may be aligning more with China and is factoring in Chinese interests in Cuba. However, Rusk also saw Chinese initiatives in North Korea and North Vietnam. The relationship with China is, in his words, "not a long-term worry like Moscow but a short-term worry."
Author(s):
Associated Places
Associated Topics
Subjects Discussed
Document Information
Source
Original Archive
Rights
The History and Public Policy Program welcomes reuse of Digital Archive materials for research and educational purposes. Some documents may be subject to copyright, which is retained by the rights holders in accordance with US and international copyright laws. When possible, rights holders have been contacted for permission to reproduce their materials.
To enquire about this document's rights status or request permission for commercial use, please contact the History and Public Policy Program at [email protected].
Original Uploaded Date
Type
Language
Record ID
Original Classification
Secret