THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 21 FEBRUARY 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993151
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 21, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010400200001-9
The President's Daily Brief
21 February 1972
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010400200001-9
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010400200001-9
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
21 February 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The pattern of appearances at the opening ceremonies
during President Nixon's trip to Peking suggests
that Premier Chou En-lai is in a particularly strong
position. (Page 1)
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yang Pao's military operation towara tne Plaine aes
Jarres has come under increasing Communist attack.
(Page 2)
Moscow is continuing to try to interest Tokyo in
helping develop Siberian oil fields. (Page 3)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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CHINA
Thus far,'one.striking aspect of the ceremonies
and events connected with President Nixon's visit is
the'pattern of appearances of the Chinese leaders.
The. two Politburo members (other than Premier Chou
himself) who have beenpresent at the airport, the
banquet and they first plenary talk--Li Hsien-nien,
and Yeh Chien-ying--have long been close associates
of the premier. In.contratt, Mao's wife, Chiang
Ching, and the two ranking leaders in Shanghai--
Chang Chun-chiao and Yao Wen-yuan--have yet to make
An appearance. This trio was closely associated
with the more.extreme-aspects of the Cultural Revo-
lution and does not have the ties to Chou evident
in the case of Li, Yeh, and the members of the.for-
eign ministry who have thus far been prominent.
The "radical". trio has been in partial
eclipse for some time,;:rao and Chiang:
Ching_have,each,made only one appearance,
and Chang none at all, in the past six
weeks: It is of,course possible that
these leaders.are in effect bo.ycotting
the visit, but it is hard to see what
this.wouid:gain them when. Mao himself has
set ? his seal on the trip by receiving the
President during his: first hours in Peking.
One or all members of-this trio May yet
show up before the week is out-in Hangchow
or Shanghai if not Peking--but the Premier
seems to be in an especially strong posi-
tion as the talks with the US begin:
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LAOS
Over the weekend the. Communists launched anum-
ber: of probes and? attacks by fire against yang Pao's
forces moving toward the Plaine des Jarres The
irregulars' offensive has slowed, but their presence
southeast of the Plaine 'has forced the Communists-
to-divert troops from the Long Tieng.area, where
yang Pao's.tactical situation continues to improve.
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USSR-JAPAN
The semi-official Soviet-Japanese economic co-
operation committee will meet in Tokyo this week.
The Soviets will primarily be trying to interest
?
Japan in helping to finance and sharply expand pro-
duction at West Siberian oil fields and to build a
pipeline from Irkutsk, near Lake Baikal, to Nakhoda
on the Sea of Japan. Soviet plans call for Japan
eventually to receive nearly one million barrels of
oil per day via the pipeline.
Moscow attaches considerable political as
well as economic importance to the talks;
and hopes to build on the impetus provided
by Gromyko's recent visit to Japan. Jap-
anese firms are enthusiastic about the
venture
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NOTES
South Vietnam: Military activity increased,
somewhat over the weekend in scattered actions.
Communist rocket and mortar attacks hit three US
air bases and Kontum city in the western highlands
Other attacks, many of which were in response to
intensified. allied patrolling and artillery, and
air strikes, were directed at provincial security
forces in northern coastal regions and small out-
posts in the delta where two hamlet chiefs were
killed
Malta:
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010400200001-9