JFK Case: SUMMARY ON: MEETING BETWEEN CHOU-EN-LAI AND THE AMERICANS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00279369
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: September 12, 2023
• Document Release Date: June 21, 2023
• Case Number: F-2021-01028
• Publication Date: November 26, 1971

Approved for Release: 2023/01/11 C00279369
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U.)E. 0::112f COflflA
I:CU-EN-0 AND RT-rO2D HT
i SUBJECT; (Cptizncl
Cl/S0 SuITImary
on: Meeting Between Chou en-Lai and
BEST COPY
AVAILABLE.
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cans
FROM:
MI/SO
ROber �
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
EXTENSION
5847
OFFICER'S
INITIALS
NO.
EX-
9320
DATE
2 6 -NcoL12.11
� COMMENTS (Number each comment to show boat whom
to whom. Draw a line across column after each commen).)
1.
2.
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4.
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44, IA
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This information is* not to be
disseminated outside Cl/S0
without prior approval of
Chief, Special Operations
Group,- CI Staff.
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Originated by: JFurfey
TYPED by
Based on:
Date:
Filed:
8.
9.
SOURCE:
Cryptonym: � MHTRUCK
Field Station:
ACTION:- %.
IA HISTORICAL REVIEW -PROtRA
RELEASE IN FULL 1997
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12.
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15.
DISTRIBUTION:
7X/EX NUMERICAL FILE (record
PV Subject file IDG/
/x/ Other MHTRUCK/JF
INDEXIN
KP by
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EX-9320
CT�rrntrIlt Use"ST14.21.77 NOV",1971
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nBjECTI Meeting x4k4Between
iource said on 11 Nov
Leibel BERGXAN's group of RU people; minus BERGMAN. who remained
'el Peking on business, departed Peking by train on the morning of 3 October 1971 for
�n �
. tour of the countryside. The first stop was some two and one-half hours following
:he departure. We had planned to be gone for about ten days but at this first stop
t were suddenly told to gather our things and leave the train in order to return to
eking at once, No reason was given for this change in our plans and of course
. .
peculation was rife. Whether by plan or by accident 4 I do not know, but a train, .
rrived in the station within minutes heading to Peking. We boarded and retraced our
teps. former
We returned to our/rooms in the Peking Hotel and more or less just
it around the hotel "waiting". Waiting for what, we did not know. Our luggage was
'.311 in the hotel so it was not too uncomfortable but still "waiting" for the unknown
; always somewhat frustrating.
It was not until the maiming of 5 October 1971 that we were advised
the reception which aplanned to hold that same night in the Hall of the People.
the aison Commi te people(part of the Liaison Department of the Central Committee
the Chinese Communist Party) knew in advance what was planned, they did not tell us
til that morning. The excitement was considerable during the day as anticipAtion toe&
7e served.
The reception was from about 2030-2300 hours and no food or refreshments
The reception was ONLY for Americans and I understand that about sey,enty
:ended including a number of lipermanent residents". Of course there were many
7icials present but no other foreigners. In addition to CHOU, Gum Flu, an old
the Politburo was prescIftt but his age forced him to remain seated throtzhouto
Chinese.
member
There
TV coverage of course.
And it was a reception in the full formal sense. Each A7ricen was
Do not dissem to the FBI
/
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Abroad
Controlled
ted personally and individually by c�ca.
Cl/SO [Pate
er,fr
4ntreduced by name. CHOU seemed to be' in good heIth 1.tria his handshake was firm and strong.
.zac
For EIP.stor-
h 03*1 Anerican was
if I had to describe his health I wonld say that CHOU seemed to be in vigorous good health,
you can inagAne it takeeso-Ae tire to "go through the line" in such .a meaningful
fashion. I- did not hear CHOU .say anything person;], to any of the visitors. as they met �
im but I am sure that he did, �
The Hall of thePeople is large and the lounge chairs had been. arranged �
semi-circlearonnd the podium. The heads of the various American delegations sat-
.
the front row of chairs and included: Huey NEWTON, Robert AVAKIAN, Mrs�CARMELITA
-:"Mother") BINTON, Jack BELDEN, William H. HINTON', Frank COS and ostrich-like Sol ADM. .
- CHOU en-Lai spoke through an interpreter. He gave a short introduction of
Areeting and then reviewed the history of Chinese-American relations. He talked of the
:hinese Revolution and of the pending visit of President NIXON.
CHOU asked,"Why is China
taw negotiating?" He then explained that China had always been willing to negotiate
rith theArericans and had done so regarding Chang Kai Shek in the 40's, regarding the
*ear: War in the 5P's and since then in Poland and in Geneva.
. CHOU said that some may ask haw China can continue its military preparations
tile indicating a willingness to negotiate. He explained that negotiations and arms go
land in hand and that,the more meaningful the negotiations, themore military divisions
le needed for "defensive" purposes.
CHOU made it totally clear that TAIWAN, Vietnam and support for peoples'
ars are non-negotiable items. He indicated that "normalization of relations are
stated
egotiations". He rt=mmzi that Taiwan is an integral part of China but did not stress
ny of the points hn made. -It was all fairly low-key yet meaningful,. He showed that
he Chinese "line" has renamed constant th-*.ough the years and that there has never been
or will there ever bez on principle. The "linen of 1937 is thenlina" of
. ,
odzzy.
I
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-Gil took the initia China. CWhou.= said that the
SO as F'LO Internal Li17,1 019.
overture from NIXON concerne 'he li possibity o Erse NIXON visiting China. 21c.....1
this.did.not materialize for some reason, NIXON then asked if his daughter could
it China on her honeymoon. It became obvious to the Chinese that NIXON wished to
this beingthe case,
sit China hinsrlf and/it was decided to invite him cHas turned to John SERVICE at
this point with some' remark about the invit.tion and SERVICE seemed to say that CU
�
had behaved prope-ly. However, CHOU made the point th=t it was NIXON who was coming to
� �
:the Chinese and not the Chinese who were coming to NIXON. '
- - .to Peking by ail
-
note: I might add that on the day we returned/from our tour of the 4.;hinese country-
Side,- the EISSINGER aircraft was 'parked a the airport and was seemingly unguarded. This
as abmit .15 October and was KISSIMGER's second Peking-visit-in connection with the
ram 1972 trip to China.)
.CHOU only lightay touched on the possibility that China would be seated in
Ale United 'nations. He did stress that China was always willing to support the armed
truggle of oppressed peoples.
The only time I recall CHOU speaking in English (I think he understands
t fairly well) was when he made a remark to Bill EPTON.about.the
���-�7"--
CHOU talked about Japan, too. He did not seem too sanguine about a normal-
zation of relations between the two countries if J;p:tn persisted in inci.easing its
rade with Taiwag-and persisted in its militaristic policies. CHOU expressed the view
aat militarism usually follows rapidly on the heels of an increase in.tradei
;reseed that the Japanese military budget had been increased by 30% and that military
tdre was. evolving which glorified Admiral YAMOMOT0c=a I think he may also have
'ntioned the EISHEMO incident of a. year ago. His final point on Japan was to show
44 many former American military bases in Japan had been taken over by the Japanese
d�were still open.
CHOU made reference to the presence of Huey NEWTON and indicated that Ni7NTON
IT
uld soon be sending a-,delegation tn
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�41,1
No Foreign Dissern
worker group.,� n y
bS2 011N
CHOU .asked EFTON about the strength of the PLe and the iat'er said that it
ened to be as strong as ever. CHOU asked if there were some dissidents in the
--
OMP and EPTON said there were �not.many. CHOU asked if EPTON felt he would be able to
draw. many people out of the PLP and EPTON said,"Ho".
EPTON's answers seemed to dis�
� appoint CHOU and I sensed a chill of sorts enter the �h 11 and affect CHOU and the
�
-audience* CHOU simply exhorted EPTON to work harder and promised that if he did so
he could accomplish his tasks. The concensus was that UPON was disgraced even tholgh
be probably felt that he WS being totally accurate in his replies.
CHOU talked about China's relations with the USSR stressing their comon
border and the 100,000 troops which theSoviets have massed along it including other
large forces in Mongolia. CHOU stated thatoven if China was simultaneously attacked
by the USSR by the USA, by and by China would survive and deal success�
fully with each of them.
CHOU said that our visits are among the first of many which will
. , . for Americans
take place.- Some 10,000 applications for visas/are currently on file. "The crack
has been made and will w1den3. The door is open."
There was no opportmity to levy any questions on CHOU and,following his
remarks, he departed. He did not mention the visits-ef'BUlganin and grezhnev to
Canada�Cuba and to France nor the visit of NIXON to the USSR as I recall.
We have asked ourselves WHY.. Why did CHOU have, the rdeetingi What did. he.
wish to accomplish? What messge did he wish to give us and the USG? There are many
-,.� � ..
possible answers. Personally, I foundthe meeting to be of no particular significance.
Ahroad
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