Telegram to Zhou Enlai Concerning the United Nations General Assembly’s Preparation to Discuss the Korean Question, Among Other Matters (September 13, 1952)

Comrade Enlai:   (1) The forthcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to take up the Korean question. Mexico has put forward a three-point proposal for resolving the prisoner-of-war issue: first, prisoners on both sides who have expressed a desire to return home should be exchanged; second, other prisoners should be granted temporary asylum by other UN member states, to be repatriated at a later date according to procedures yet to be determined; and third, once the situation in Korea has fully returned to normal, the prisoners’ respective home countries should provide them with all necessary guarantees and facilities so that they may immediately return home. Should certain prisoners request repatriation prior to the normalization of conditions in Korea, the governments concerned should likewise comply and afford them every possible convenience for their return. It appears that the initiative to place the Korean question before the United Nations originated with Britain, and Mexico’s proposal may also have been instigated by Britain. The United States has indicated a willingness to consider the former but has not yet taken a position on the latter. We would appreciate your consultation with our Soviet colleagues regarding the stance we ought to adopt toward these two matters.

(2) India and Burma have, through indirect channels, expressed their readiness to conclude non-aggression pacts with our country and have conveyed their hope that you will pay visits to both India and Burma. Their underlying intention seems to be that Nehru [1] wishes to visit China, after which he hopes that the Chinese Premier will reciprocate with a visit to India. This information was relayed by Ambassador Yao Zhongming [2]. In my view, it is quite likely that a formal proposal along these lines will be put forward. Should India and Burma make such a formal offer, it would be difficult for us to refuse. As to whether we should enter into the aforementioned agreements with India and Burma, we again solicit your consultation with our Soviet comrades.

Mao Zedong, 10:00 p.m., September 13, based on the manuscript.

Notes  [1] Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister of India and Minister of External Affairs.  [2] Yao Zhongming, then Chinese Ambassador to Burma.