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March 5, 1964

Note number 150, 'Visit of M. Ho Ying'

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French Embassy in Tanganyika

Dar es Salaam, 5th March 1964

Note number 150

Henri de Bourdeille, French Ambassador in Tanganyika

To

His Excellency the Foreign Minister

Africa-Levant Department

 

Visit of M. Ho Ying

 

M. Ho Ying, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, came this morning, or a few weeks after the renewal of diplomatic relations between our two countries, for the customary protocol visit. I have known my Chinese colleague for a while since he had taken his post in Dar es Salaam two months after my arrival. With the approval of the Department, when I had become dean, I had established some ties with him as part of my deanship. On his part, M. Ho Ying had done his utmost to expand these relations, and he treated me during meetings with an affability that I did my best to prevent from becoming too exuberant.    

 

This morning, he was also particularly pleasant. He declared that he really wanted to maintain regular and friendly relations with me. He thus declared: ‘France is a great country that must take a lead in the Third World. Like China, it has decided to affirm its independence. France and China have a similar policy: as long as certain countries will possess nuclear weapons arsenals, and machines to transport them, both countries will refuse to give up their right to build nuclear weapons’.

 

He added: ‘China is ready to establish diplomatic relations with the United States. But before that happens, the latter must evacuate its military bases in Taiwan. Communist China, however, is very keen to see France play a role in Vietnam and Cambodia’. I welcomed this last remark from my colleague. On the other subjects, I remained cautious. Indeed, it seems to me that my Chinese colleague would like our two embassies to flaunt their friendship in a very obvious manner.

 

On Zanzibar, M. Ho Ying indicated that he would have no authority on the island, but that his government would soon nominate an ambassador who would take charge of the embassy currently run by a chargéd’affaires.

 

Signed Henri de Bourdeille

 

Henri de Bourdeille reports on his meeting with the Chinese Ambassador following the establishment of relations between France and China.


Document Information

Source

Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France. Obtained by Enrico Fardella and translated by Garret Martin.

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2013-03-25

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MacArthur Foundation and Leon Levy Foundation