Record of Premier Zhou Enlai's Meeting with Pak Se-chang, New Ambassador of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to China

Foreign Ministry Top Secret File

Record of Premier Zhou Enlai Meeting with Pak Se-chang, New Ambassador of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to China

(Premier has yet to review)

——Issues in Signing of China-Korea Science and Technology Agreement and Situation of Preparatory Meeting for Second Asian-African Conference——

Time: 4 p.m., 28 April 1964（before delivery of credentials）

Place: Xihua Hall

Person attending the meeting: Vice Minister Yu Peiwen

Interpreter: Li Xiangwen

Recorder: Zhang Ruijie

Premier Zhou: Comrade Ambassador, when did you arrive here?

Ambassador Pak: I arrived on the 23rd. 

Zhou: A Korean science delegation is in Beijing now and is due to return the day after tomorrow.

Pak: Yes.

Zhou: As tomorrow’s schedule is full, I have a letter for Comrade Premier Kim Il Sung and would like the Ambassador to look over it first. I have not yet had it translated. Comrade Ambassador, can you read Chinese? (The ambassador indicates that he cannot.)[Part of the contents concerned were blacked out and not legible.]

Pak: I understand. On my return I shall at once inform Premier Kim Il Sung.

Zhou: Thank you. Comrade Premier is in good health, yes?

Pak: Yes, he is in fine health. Upon my arrival, Comrade Premier Kim Il Sung wanted me to express his regards to Comrade Premier。

Zhou: Thank you. Did I hear that Comrade Premier is preparing to go inspect Unbong?

Pak: That is right. Around time May Day, he will give on-the-spot guidance in Jagang [Chagang] Province and will spend May Day there.

Zhou: Has Comrade Ambassador been to China before?

Pak: I came last year at the time of May Day.

Zhou: How is your health?

Pak: I am fine.

Zhou: How is the previous ambassador, Comrade Han Ik-su?

Pak: I have not seen him since his return, so I cannot give Comrade Premier an exact answer. I hear that he is now receiving medical treatment.

Zhou: The last two ambassadors are in poor health. Returning this last time from abroad and hearing that Comrade Ri Yeong-ho [Ri Yong Ho] was in Beijing, I thought of going to see him. But he had already left.

Pak: They are both a bit old and ill. 

Are you a bit younger or not?

Pak: I am 56 years old.

Zhou: In the past did you join the underground struggle?

Pak: I have mainly engaged in work in Korea under the leadership of the Premier.

Zhou: Have you ever been in prison?

Pak: I have been imprisoned twice.

Zhou: Are you still in good health?

Pak: It is very good.

Yu Peiwen: His wife's health is not good. She has high blood pressure.

Zhou: It would be good to take more walks. One must not become too tired.

Pak: She suffered in prison and is often sick.

I have come here now to work for the development of friendship between China and Korea. New to this myself, I am confident that I will be able to obtain every leading comrade’s help and support and that hereafter we will be in frequent contact.

Zhou: No problem. We must do our best. Just as at home, the Foreign Ministry, the International Liaison Department, and the individual people’s organizations for foreign affairs can associate with you. The comrade charge d’affaires is very familiar with matters. You can ask him to introduce you.

Many of you comrades engaged in foreign activities are very capable. At the Afro-Asian Solidarity Conference, the legal workers there all worked well. In the fight against revisionism, we are all together; the revisionists, too, see us as the same. Your education minister in Ghana, Senegal, Niger and Mali was very successful in his activities and received a great welcome.

(Jeon Du-hwan [Chon Tu-hwan], leader of the Korean Academy of Sciences delegation, arrived at this point. The Premier asked him to read the letter first and continued talking with Ambassador Pak).

Zhou: Have you seen Foreign Minister Chen Yi?

Pak: Not yet.

Zhou: When you see him, he can tell you about the preparatory meeting for the Second Asian-African Conference. This meeting went over the issue of member countries, determined that Asian and African countries that had not participated in the first conference but have already gained independence would participate, and that those countries that participated in the last conference would participate. Therefore, there will be not only North Vietnam but South Vietnam as well. Accordingly, they will invite both the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and South Korea to participate, and Mongolia as well. Under these circumstances, I am not opposed to South Korea. India proposed the Soviet Union; we beat back the proposal. Moscow for this reason focused its energy on attacking Comrade Chen Yi. Pravda published an editorial and issued a note. We say that this is very simple. Why has this come up again? It is first of all something that India has decided.

Second, the Soviet Union is a European country; a country cannot be two continents. India's reason is that the Soviet Union participates in all the non-governmental organizations, which can be a bit relaxed. State organizations are not the same. In the United Nations, the Soviet Union is not among the Afro-Asian countries.

This time there is no casting of votes. If it were conducted by secret ballot, then the proposal would be rejected. At present we have reached such an agreement; some approve it, some oppose it.

The conference will be held in March next year in Africa. The specific venue will be decided at the Asian-African Summit in July this year. At present there remains nearly a year of labor ahead. We can do more preparatory work.

On the surface, the Soviet Union says that it is not opposed but, in reality, through the non-aligned nations is causing damage. At present every international movement is suffering damage in several respects. But countries demanding revolution are the majority, and the people are the absolute majority. We believe that there will be a joining together and that the difficulties of revisionism and imperialism will grow more and more.

Pak: It cannot be realized according to the aspiration of revisionism.

Zhou: If we realize it in suppressing their aspiration, we will be all right!

(The record of the conversation between the Premier and the leader of the Korean Academy of Sciences delegation is separately arranged by the Academy of Sciences.)

Copies: Enlai, Xiaoping, Peng Zhen, Rongzhen, Shangkun, Ruiqing, Confidential Affairs Bureau, Office of Foreign Affairs (6), International Liaison Department (5), Office of National Defense Industry, State Science and Technology Commission, Academy of Sciences, Second Machine Industry Ministry, Chen, Zhang, Ji, Zeng, Wang, Qiao, Han, General Office (2) Second Asian Affairs Department,4 file copies, 36 copies in total printed

Received on 4 May 1964                                              

Submitted for printing on 5 May 1964

General Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs                      

Printed and distributed on 6 May 1964