Skip to content

October 22, 1964

Cable from Chen Jiakang, 'Riyadal's Views on China's Testing of an Atomic Bomb'

This document was made possible with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)

Cable Received by the [Chinese] Foreign Ministry

 

Level: Urgent

Received from the United Arab Republic Desk

Foreign Ministry Incoming (64) You (1091)

 

Riad’s Views on China's Testing of an Atomic Bomb

 

To the Foreign Ministry:

 

I met [Mahmoud] Riad, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Republic [Egypt], on 20 October and handed him the cable that Premier Zhou [Enlai] sent the leaders of various countries and a duplicate copy of our government’s declaration. (The original has already been given to Nasser through Zulfikar Sabri.) We repeatedly explained China’s position on the issue of nuclear weapons and the content of our government’s suggestions.

 

Riad then shared three points of view below:

 

“1. China’s detonation of the atomic bomb was for its own security and this is completely right. Although the United Arab Republic is very poor and its economic situation quite bad, it still spent quite a lot of money over the years for its own security. The West exhorted not to use this money on security but on economic development. We knew that if we were to do this, the economic situation would be somewhat better but we would lose our security.

 

2. The United Arab Republic felt that China should regain its place at the United Nations quickly but the West was still dragging its feet. The policy of the West toward China is simply not viable. 

 

3. Peace and peaceful co-existence cannot do without a basis. They cannot be established on the basis of colonialism, and can only be established on the basis of justice.” 

  

For your information, please.

 

Chen Jiakang

22 October 1964

 

 

 

 

Cable from the Chinese Embassy in the United Arab Republic [Egypt] describing a positive conversation between Chinese Ambassador Chen Jiakang and Foreign Minister of the United Arab Republic Mahmoud Riad on China's testing of an Atomic Bomb.


Document Information

Source

PRC FMA 107-00566-01, 23-24. Translated by Caixia Lu.

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

2017-01-12

Type

Cable

Language

Record ID

134739

Donors

Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY) and Henry Luce Foundation