PREREQUISITES TO THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN
CHINA AND BRITAIN*
(February 8, 1950)
As the British charge d'affaires Hutchinson is expected to arrive in Beijing
soon, please tell the Foreign Ministry that, in broaching the initial procedures
for the establishment of diplomatic relations to Hutchinson when he calls after
arrival, it should right away tell him that the most important thing is the
relationship between Britain and the remnants of the Chiang kai-shek reac
tionaries. If diplomatic relations are to be established between Britain and the
Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, Britain
should not at the same time carry on any diplomatic intercourse with the
Kuomintang government. Regrettably, in the Security Council and other
bodies of the United Nations the British representatives have continued to
recognize Kuomintang representation as legitimate and refused to accept the
representatives of the People's Republic of China—this is a prerequisite issue
for the establishment of Sino-British diplomatic relations that has to be
resolved. Secondly, clarification must be made on the attitude of the British
Hong Kong government toward the Kuomintang government's official repre
sentatives and establishments and all their state assets in Hong Kong, as this
and similar matters are also issues relating to severance of relations with the
Kuomintang government. See how Hutchinson responds. As to the question
of taking back the British barracks, this may not be brought up for the time
being.
(From the original manuscript)
* This is part of a telegram to Liu Shaoqi from Mao Zedong who was on a visit in the
Soviet Union.