AFRO-ASIAN CONFERENCE DEVELOPMENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91T01172R000300370003-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 27, 2006
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: February 11, 1955
• Content Type: MF

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I
UOPY NO. 18
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
11 February 1955
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director (Intelligence)
SUBJECT: Afro-Asian Conference Developments
25X1
There have been increasing reports, mostly speculative, 25X1
regarding the attitudes that will be assumed at the conference
by various non-Communist countries.
The American embassy in Djakarta reports that the Indonesians
are aware that the conference may well turn into a polemic
controversy between Communist and anti-Communist countries.
Since Indonesia's objectives are largely limited to the acquiring
of prestige and an endorsement of their claims to West New Guinea,
its delegation is likely to try to keep discussion of controver-
sial matters to a minimum.
On the other hand, the Indonesians will find it difficult
to avoid associating themselves with the "five coexistence
principles" which Communist China is expected to offer as a
general platform for the meeting. India and Burma have already
subscribed to the "five principles," and should Peiping offer
an attractive solution of the overseas Chinese problem--which
appears to be in the making--Indonesia probably would find it
impossible not to accept them too. Moreover, Indonesia--like
Burma--probably will go along with the Communists and other
neutralists in such matters as colonialism, racial discrimina-
tion, seating Peiping in the UN and banning of nuclear and mass-
destruction weapons.
In Damascus, the "great debate" on Syrian foreign policy
continues and may result in the emergence of an anti-Western
government. It is therefore impossible to judge the makeup or
inclinations of the Syrian delegation at Bandung. In any
event, Syria can be expected to support, and might well sponsor,
a resolution placing the conference on record as backing the
Arab position regarding Palestine and North Africa.
State Dept. review completed
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Libyan Premier Ben Halim can be expected to side with the
West, according to Ambassador Tappin. Ben Halim has indicated,
however, that he would be in an awkward position regarding
"French imperialism" if he had not obtained a satisfactory solu-
tion of the Fezzan problem beforehand. The ambassador also
cautions that Ben Halim sided with Egypt on the Iraq-Turkey pact
and might take his cue from the Egyptians during the conference.
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Communist comment on the conference has fallen off con-
siderably. The Viet Minh regime has at last indicated that it
welcomed the meeting and an article in IZVESTIA reports the old
charge that the US is attempting--without success--to sabotage
the conference by discouraging attendance. According to the
Japanese consul general in Hong Kong, Chou En-lai recently told
the leader of a Japanese trade delegation that he hoped that
Japan would send a top-level representative to Bandung where
the matter of developing Sino-Japanese friendship could be dis-
cussed.
HUNTINGTON D. SHELDON
Assistant Director,
Current Intelligence
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