Statement by the Spokesman of the Headquarters of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on the Atrocities Committed by British Warships

(April 30, 1949)

We denounce the arrogant statement of the war-monger Churchill. On April 26, Churchill demanded in the British House of Commons that the British government send two aircraft carriers to the Far East to “carry out armed retaliation.” Mr. Churchill, what are you “retaliating” for? British warships, together with Kuomintang warships, intruded into the defense zone of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and opened fire on it, causing as many as 252 casualties among its loyal and brave fighters. The British have intruded into China’s territory and committed such grave criminal acts. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has every reason to demand that the British government admit its mistakes and carry out an apology and compensation. Is it not these things that you ought to do, instead of sending your armed forces to China to carry out “retaliation” against the Chinese People’s Liberation Army? Prime Minister Attlee’s statement is also wrong. He said that Britain has the right to send warships into China’s Yangtze River. The Yangtze is an inland river of China. What right do you British have to send your warships in? You have no such right. The Chinese people must defend China’s territorial sovereignty; absolutely no foreign government may encroach upon it. Attlee said that the People’s Liberation Army “was prepared to let the Amethyst proceed to Nanking, but on the condition that she would help the People’s Liberation Army to cross the river.” Attlee is lying; the People’s Liberation Army did not permit the Amethyst to proceed to Nanking. The People’s Liberation Army does not want any foreign armed forces to help in crossing the river or to do anything else. On the contrary, the People’s Liberation Army demands that the warships, military aircraft, marines and other armed forces of Britain, the United States and France in the Yangtze and Whangpoo Rivers and in other parts of China quickly withdraw from China’s inland waters, territorial sea, territory and territorial air, and that they refrain from helping the enemy of the Chinese people to wage civil war. The Chinese People’s Revolutionary Military Commission and the People’s Government have not yet established diplomatic relations with any foreign government. They are willing to protect foreign nationals in China who pursue their normal occupations. They are willing to consider establishing diplomatic relations with foreign countries; such relations must be based on equality, mutual benefit, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and, first of all, on no help being given to the Kuomintang reactionaries. The Chinese People’s Revolutionary Military Commission and the People’s Government are not willing to accept any threatening action by any foreign government. If any foreign government is willing to consider establishing diplomatic relations with us, it must sever its relations with the remnant Kuomintang forces and withdraw its armed forces from China. Attlee complains that the Chinese Communist Party, having no diplomatic relations with foreign countries, is unwilling to have dealings with the old diplomatic personnel of foreign governments (the consuls recognized by the Kuomintang). Such a complaint is groundless. In the past few years, the governments of the United States, Britain, Canada and other countries have helped the Kuomintang against us. Has Mr. Attlee forgotten that too? Does Mr. Attlee also not know what country gave the heavy cruiser Chungking, which was sunk not long ago, to the Kuomintang?