THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 FEBRUARY 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993155
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 23, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010400220001-7
?The President's Daily Brief
23 February 1972
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010400220001-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010400220001-7
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
23 February 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
President Nixon's trip to China has occasioned harsh
Polish criticism of Communist China. (Page 1)
India and Pakistan are both giving increased publicity
to possible early peace talks. (Page 2)
(Page 3)
Prime Ministers Heath and Mintoff have agreed to meet
again on the issues still barring a Malta agreement.
(Page 4)
Japanese comment on the President's trip reflects a
mixture of hope for success and anxiety that Tokyo
"is being left behind" in upgrading relations with
China. (Page 5)
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POLAND
One facet of the Soviet Union's carefully or-
chestrated indirect criticisms of the President's
trip to China has been the change of the Polish re-
gime into one of the most extreme Red China - baiters
among Moscow's allies. On Sunday, party leader
Gierek, usually a cautious and pragmatic man, lent
his prestige to the campaign, becoming the first
Communist leader anywhere in the last five years
personally to call for the Chinese people to "reject
Maoism." His remarks fell just short of an appeal
for a Chinese revolution. He made no explicit tie
between the attack on Mao and China's talks with
the US.
Under Gierek's predecessor Gomulka, Poland
had taken a moderate line vis-a-vis China.
Gradually, however, .in proportion to Gie-
rek's dependence on the Soviet Union for
financial and political support, Warsaw's
anti-Chinese position has become more
shriZZ. The idea that Maoism must be
overthrown is not a new one in Soviet or
other Communist propaganda, but this is
the first time in recent years that a
leading politician has publicly embraced
it.
1
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INDIA-PAKISTAN
Both countries are giving increased publicity
to the possibility of early peace talks. The Pak-
istani public was informed on 23 February that New
Delhi had notified Islamabad that India was willing
to open direct talks on outstanding issues without
preconditions.
India first made known its willingness to talk
with Pakistan in a recent letter to UN Secretary
General Waldheim. President Bhutto, however, told
the press on 21 February that India's offer was
essentially a tactical move timed to coincide with
the opening of Sino-American talks. He added that
he would make no reply until after President Nixon
completes his China visit.
Bhutto has stated previously that he will
seek direct talks with Mrs. Gandhi at the
earliest opportunity. We doubt that he
would be willing to see formal peace ne-
gotiations begin prior to 25 March, when
all Indian troops are scheduled to have
departed from Bangladesh.
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MALTA
Prime Minister Heath has agreed to meet with
Prime Minister Mintoff once again but is unwilling
to meet Mintoff's renewed demand for an additional,
one-time payment of $13 million over and above the
UK-NATO offer of $36.4 million annually. No date has
been set for the talks
Mintoff so far remains in complete domestic
control. He has effectively neutralized
the opposition and the church and has demon-
strated to his own party that his tactics
have produced offers of more money at almost
every stage of the negotiations.
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NOTES
Japan-US-China: President Nixon's visit to Pe-
king is receiving heavy media coverage in Japan. Jap-
anese comment thus far reflects a mixture of hope for
the trip's success and anxiety that Tokyo is "being
left behind" in upgrading relations with China. While
there has been no official reaction from the Sato gov-
ernment, the press in Tokyo has reported serious con-
cern on the part of Japanese Foreign Ministry offi-
cials. The atmosphere at the Foreign Ministry is de-
scribed as "cold and gloomy," and there is uneasiness
that the discussions, contrary to earlier Japanese
predictions, may produce important results. Live
television coverage of the meetings is having a major
impact on the Japanese and will substantially increase
pressure on Prime Minister Sato--and any successor--
to normalize Sino-Japanese relations.
South Vietnam: Communist military action con-
tinues at a level slightly above normal but has not
increased significantly during the past few days.
Aggressive South Vietnamese operations continue to
flush out enemy forces near potential target areas.
5
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Top Secret
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