CAB129-45 — Page 177

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MEPage 175 PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)

HIS DOCUMENT of 58

IS THE

587

SECRET

C.P.(51) 100

3RD APRIL, 1951

CABINET

COPY NO. 31

ADDITIONAL MEASURES BY THE UNITED NATIONS AGAINST CHINA

Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

The United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 1st February, 1951, set up a Good Offices Committee and also a Committee, composed of the members of the Collective Measures Committee "to consider additional measures to be employed to meet this aggression and to report thereon to the General Assembly, it being understood that the Committee is authorised to defer its report if the Good Offices Committee ... reports satisfactory progress in its efforts." This ad hoc Committee is known as the Additional Measures Committee.

DEVELOPMENTS SINCE THE PASSING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION

2.

For two months we have been urging that the emphasis should be placed on the work of the Good Offices Committee and that the Additional Measures Committee should avoid any hasty or indiscreet action which might prejudice the former's acti- vities. The Good Offices Committee has made no progress, and we have put forward proposals for a negotiated settlement on Korea.

3.

In the meantime

the United States Government have been anxious that the Additional Measures Committee should begin studying what additional measures could be employed against China if the Good Offices Committee fails. As a preliminary, they suggested some weeks ago that it would be desirable for them and us to have "desk-level talks" between officials in Washington to clear the ground. We accepted this suggestion on an entirely non-committal basis, not only because this might help to spin out time, but also because it would be valuable to know and if possible to influence American views while they were still in a formative state. Our stalling tactics have thus far been successful, but the time has now come when the United Kingdom Representative on the Additional Measures Committee can no longer refrain from some expression of views. It is therefore necessary to take certain decisions at this stage.

POSSIBLE POLITICAL SANCTIONS

4.

It is understood from the desk-level talks in Washington that the following possible political sanctions are favoured by the United States Government:-

(a) Countries which have not yet recognised the Central People's Government of China should refrain from doing so.

(b) Countries which have recognised, but have not yet established diplomatic relations, should refrain from sending diplomatic representatives to Peking.

(c)

Possible agreement that no representatives of the People Pageover an587 should be allowed into UnitBagNa78cmfs587dies until, for instance, the Chinese should have ceased their aggression in Korea.

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