Summary of Premier Zhou’s Conversation with President Nasser

Foreign Ministry File

Level: Secret   Document 622

Summary of Premier Zhou’s Conversation with President Nasser
(Premier has yet to review and approve)

——Discussion of the Issues of the Asian-African Conference Schedule and Location Following Its Postponement——

On the afternoon of 25 June 1965, Nasser invited the Premier to have a meal with him at his Alexandria apartment and spoke as follows of the relevant situations:

1. Nasser said that he received last night a telegram from the foreign minister of the United Arab Republic (UAR) saying that at present six countries of Black Africa are not opposed to holding the conference as scheduled: Guinea, Cameroon, Mauritania, Somalia, Mali, and Ethiopia. Four Asian countries are opposed to holding the conference as scheduled: Philippines, Thailand, Iran, and Nepal. All 13 countries of Britain’s Commonwealth are for postponement. Bouteflika is wavering. He is having difficulties, does not want to take the initiative, but has also expressed his hope to hold the conference as scheduled. The UAR has no option but to support him. The Premier indicated that, in the event of a postponement to the conference, it would be best not to schedule a new date for it. Otherwise, it would be disadvantageous. Nasser said that, at present, in the event of a postponement to the conference, the important thing would be to ensure that the conference location would remain Algiers and that the date could be entrusted to the standing committee for future agreement. The Premier expressed agreement and said that Vice Premier Chen Yi would in the future talk it over with the UAR’s foreign minister. Nasser said that on the evening of the 24^th, Vice Premier Chen Yi had met the UAR’s foreign minister and scheduled to meet again the 25^th at the foreign ministers meeting of four countries.

2. Nasser informed the Premier that he had received from Sukarno a telegram saying that he had received the telegrams that he and the Premier had sent and that he was still coming to Cairo on the 26^th. Therefore, the two of them were scheduled to return by car to Cairo on the afternoon of the 26^th.

3. Nasser asked the Premier his view on restoring peace to Vietnam. The Premier said that the position of both the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam was that there was no way to discuss the issue of peace so long as the United States did not agree to stop wrecking the 1954 Geneva Accords, did not agree to the withdrawal of all armed forces from south Vietnam, and did not agree to let the people of south Vietnam themselves resolve their own issues. As a consequence, at present it was still impossible to have peace. Nasser also mentioned that [Lyndon B.] Johnson’s policy would be unable to gain popular support.  

(Recorded by Ji Chaozhu.)