fco-21-515-chinese-diplomatic-service — Page 2

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for a/p

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RESTKLÜTED

Dear Andrew

CONFIDENTIAL

Kriter

93

bunte Band (EE.))o.v.hook 11.2014

asted.

British Embassy,

SOFIA.

28 August, 19690

Chinese Conversations in Bulgaria

RC

- 5 SEP 1969

FEC ests

Posts were asked by Peking a few months ago to report any conversations
had with Chinese diplomats. This is just to say that we quite regularly
have talks with members of the Chinese Embassy here, especially at
Rumanian functions. They are noticeably ignored by the other Eastern
European Communists. The Chargé d'Affaires who has been here for four
years and Chargé for over two, Van Ben-tscho and two of his colleagues
asked both the Head of Chancery and myself on separate occasions at the
Rumanian National Day Reception last week, whether we had seen many
soldiers in the country and what we thought about possible manoeuvres.
They said that as far as they could tell, the situation was not clear.
It is interesting that the Chinese should be driven to ask Western
Imperialists about the military situation in Bulgaria. We gave suitably
vague replies.

You

Brute

(Miss C. 9. Rycroft)

A. P. F. Bache, Esq.,

Eastern European & Soviet Department,

F.C.C..

London, S.W.1.

Copy to:

Chancery,

Peking.

CONFIDENTIAL

3/28

CONFIDENTIAL

CC Rs

IRI

Enti

BRITISH EMBASSY,

paces la RANGOUN.

92

Dean Broyd,

R

- 5 SEP 1969

26 August, 1969

EC 25 3

Thank you for your letter FEC ≥3/3 of 30 May, in which you gave me
guidance on further contacts with the Chinese

Charge d'Affaires here, Hsiao King.

2. Unfortunately, there were few social occasions at which we were able
to meet after the arrival of your lette. and before the announcement
that he was leaving Burna. He left Rangoon on 12 August for a posting to
Peking.

3.

I asked him to have a farewell meal with me but was informed by his
secretary, after a few days, that he was unfortunately tied up before
his departure, al though he looked forward to talking to me at the
Chinese Ara Day Reception (1 August) and at his own farewell Reception
(8 August).

4. The Army Day Reception, held in the large, open-sided hall at the
Chinese Bibassy (my first visit there), was an interesting affair. It
was hosted by the acting Military Attache, Chu Kun-Tac in the absence of
Hsu Chung-Chiu, who is in Peking recovering fron paralysis of one side
of his face. Non-stop recorded music mass singing of evidently patriotic
songs - was discreetly dispensed by loud speaker. At one end of the hall
was a white plaster bust, some six feet high, of the Chairman, gently
flood- lit in a pastel shade. This was flanked by large baskets of red
roses from the North Korean and North Vietnamese Consulates in Rangoon.
Half of one side of the hall was devoted to a well-mounted photographic
display of Chinese troops in a weal th of activities in various parts or
the Republic, most of them having in their midst a large placari bearing
Mao's portrait. All the aring served was from China (beer, what I take
to be Chinese whisky, too sweet soft drinks, and a dark brown wine,
rather like an inferior sweet sherry).

5.

There were a

The Ambassador and I and our wives altended. few other members of the
diplomatic community, some senior Burmese civil servants but no
Vinisters that I saw, and a considerable number of Sino/Burmese guests
who kept very much to themselves at the far end of the hall. The Embassy
itself appeared to be there to a man (and a woman) all dressed in
uniform, the only noticeable difference in altire being the different
types of Mac badges the usual red and gold ones with ao's profile at
different angles, and other rather larger plastic type badges with the
Chairman represented in several colours.

6.

-

I was told by those who had been to previous Army Day Receptions that
the turn-out on the Burmese military side was unusually high. There were
at least six senior Burmese officers in uniform. They included Brigadier
Maung Maung Kyaw Win, a former Ambassador to Peking; Colonel Kyi Maung
(Col. 0.8.) and Colonel Chit Khin, Director of Defence Services
Intelligence accompanied by other 0.8.1. officers.

CUIST EINIAL

7. Hsiao ming came up to me half-way through the party and chatted
amicably for a cout fifteen minutes. I could not resist asking him
whether the people of China had yet learnt of man's landing on the moon.
Hsiao Ming said that they had not.

It was

of no interest to them. I expressed surprise that a country which had
been scientifically aivanced when we were running around in skins should
not be interested in so great a land-mark in scientific advancement, no
matter what nation inde it. Haiao Ming countered that it may be a
significant achievement, but it had been done for purely military
purposes. I asked why, in that case, the achievement has not been
publicised in China, together with a comment that this was of course
designed to further the United States' military programzë.

Hsiao king gave

the reply to his interpreter, who seemed unhappy by it and had an
exchange of a minute or so with Haiao Ming before eventually simply
reiterating to me that the moon landing was of no interest to China, its
military implications were obvious and that, although China herself
developed rockets, these were of course purely for defensive purposes.

6.

The farewell Reception for Hsiao Ming was held at the same place and was
attended by a larger, but still rather small, muncer of diplomats the
Dean of the Corps, the Indian Ambassador, was present the first time, I
was told, for some years; and the Pakistani, Nepalese and Yugoslav
Ambassadors and the French Chargé were there, with the Rumanian
Ambassador's wife, whose nusband was in Bucharest at the time. There
were fewer Bino/Burmese present. The Burmese official turn-out was, I
gather, unusually high. the secretary and Executive Secretary from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs were there, together with the Head of the
Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dealing with China. The
whole atmos- phure seemed rather more relaxed, although the setting was
the Bame,

the same sort of music assailed our ears and the food and urink were
almost identical to those on Army Day.

-

Both

he has

9. Hsiao king circulated and readily took the initiative in chatting o
his guests. He positively glowed. His smile was broad throughout and he
seemed to be actually enjoying himself been here nine and a half years
and is probably, at least in sole respects, glad to be going.

10.

I was able, for the first time, to have a short exchange with the First
Secretary who will be taking his place as Chargé Shih Taien. lie seemed
very much less reserved than on previous occasions when I have met him,
and although our conversation did not yo beyond generaltics, I gained
the impression that he would be ready to talk more seriously on future
occasions. He spoke the whole time through an intèrpreter (quite a good
one), and probably needa to.

11.

The acting Military Attaché approached me and spoke for some fifteen
minutes about the satisfactions of life in the Chinese Army. Confessing
that what he told me might sound like propaganda, Chu Kun-Tao said that
in China there was no question of individual

CONFIDANTLAL

CON JIMENG LAL

'sacrifice' for one's country; it was a great 'happiness' to devote
one's life to China rather than t personal achievement. Although he
earned very little more than a private soldier, the fact that was
enabled to serve his country more fully was sufficient Incentive for him
to accupt positions of responsibility.

I asked

what ambitions he had for his children. He said that he would be ctly
happy if nis daughter were to marry a poor peasant provided he were a
dedicated one.

-

The

12. I had had little substantive conversation with Hsiao Ming in the
course of this party. When I came to Leave with my wife, I said that I
was sorry that he was going. I was confident that he would recognise,
when in Pexing, that one of the main aims of our office there was to
establish a reasonable and balanced working relationship with his
government. tie and I had found in the course of our sporadic
conversations at parties that our views differed "idely, out had been
able to oiscuss the differences amicably. understanding, no matter how
slight, which emerged from such discussion could only be helpful. I
hoped that it would be possible for him in Peking to develop with my
colleagues such frank and amicable exchange. Through auch small seans
the differences which we experienced with each other in recent years
were perhaps less likely to be repeated. Hsiao kin。 nodded in

greement and grandly summoned a waitress with a tray or drinks. He put
one into y hand, took one himself and raised his glass to with a smile.
It seemed a genuine enough gesture probably helped by the significant
quantity of liquor which the unusual rudainess or uis complexion
imicated ne iad already consumed, I think he is ping to find it a little
difficult to adjust to the more restrictive atmosphere of reking.

13. I might do that we have learned that 150 persons attended a farewell
party on 3 August for the asparting Chinese Charge Hsiao king at the
Jurma-Chinese Chamber of Commerce building on the corner of Shwe Dagon
Pagoda Road and Strand Road. The meeting began with the singing of 'The
East is Red'. Then a speech to Hsiao Ming.

Hsiao Ming in his reply thanked the Chinese Community for hulping him in
his work and urged them to follow Mao's thought. Ho suid what the party
for him was really a party for Hao. They ended by singing 'We Rely on
the Helmsman'. A few days later the Chinese Encassy ave & return party.

14. I also understand that the Einister of Foreign Affairs enter- tained
Hsiao Ming to a farewell dinner.

15. I am copying this letter to J. Allen, Peking; M. Wilford,
Washington; and K. Halylton Jones, South Beat Adia Department.

W

Ys

Kano

L. BP Smert) Head of Chancery

J. Boyd, Esq.,

Far East Department,

P.C.O.

CONFIDEL FAL

¦

RESTRICTED

Kr. J.D.I. Boy,

Far Eastern Départment.

Reference.

FEC 25/2 11 Pl.copy: Witom

Polad s'port Tokyo Cambert

H.K. (Me Larm

(c) enci

Posting of Chinese Ambassadors,

May to July, 1969.

I

+

In 1967, in the course of the Cultural Revolution, all Chinese
Ambassadors were withdrawn to Peking, with the solitary exception of
Huang Hua, Ambassador to the U.A.R. (Huang was withdrawn from Cairo,
without immediate replacement, in July 1969).

2. In mid-May, three weeks after the conclusion of the 9th Congress of
the Chinese Communist Party, China began the process of refilling the
vacancies, and by mid-July seventeen of some forty-four from
Ambassadorial posts had been refilled. Since then there appears to be a
halt in the process, and it is conceivable that this halt may last until
after the celebration of National Day on 1 October, or even the possible
convening of the National People's Congress. Enclosure A. gives a list
of these posts and the names of the incumbents in the order of their
postings, together with brief background notes of their careers. (It
also includes particulars of the Chargé d'Affaires to South Yemen,
China's first representative to this newly independent country with
which she established diplomatic relations in January 1968). It will be
noted that first on the list is China's closest ally, Albania, and the
other sixteen may be considered countries which are of special interest
to China in the development of her foreign policy.

3. Three of the Ambassadors return to posts from which they had been
recalled in 1967- France, Zambia and Yemen. Nine of the other postings
represent reassignments of Ambassadors who had been recalled. The
remaining five are also from the Foreign Service, having served in
overseas missions or in departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Thus it appeara

that so far the Cultural Revolution has not produced any injection of
new blood into China's Foreign | Service.

RESTRICTED

-1-

L 4.

I

RESTRICTED

4. Enclosure B. gives the names of the Ambassadora who formerly occupied
the fourteen

Several posts now filled by new appointees.

of these, perhaps the majority, were subjected to some degree of
criticism during the Cultural Revolution; it remains to be seen whether
any or all of them will resume their former careers,

5. Enclosure C. lists the remaining Ambassadors who have not yet been
reposted, together with one Chargé d'Affaires similarly circumstanced.

Konnell Kimalans

(K. Bumstead)

Far Eastern Section, Research

Department.

August. 25 1969.

Copies to

I. R. D.

P. U. S. D. (Mr. Weston) Kr. Ford.

File.

RESTRICTED

-2-

4

POST

AMBASSADOR

REVARKS

Albania

Keng Piao

(newly appointed)

Left for post: 15.5.69.

Born: 1909.

Replaces Liu Hsiao.

1950

Keng had early military background.

Ambassador to Sweden and Minister to Denmark. Ambassador to Pakistan.
1959 - Vice-Minister of Foreign

Affairs.

1956

-

1963 - Ambassador to Burna.

1967

-

Referred to in Hsinhua as "Former Chinese Ambassador

to Burna"

1969 - Member, 9th Central Committee,

C.C.P.

Early military background.

France

Huang Chen.

(1945

-

Returned to his post

20.5.69.

Born: 1908.

1950 1954 1961 1964 1969

-

-

-

Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Wang Yu-p'ing

(newly appointed)

Left for post 5.6.69.

Born: 1910.

Deputy Director, Political Department, Taihang Military Region)

Ambassador to Hungary.

Ambassador to Indonesia.

Vice-Minister, M.F.A.

Ambassador to France.

Member, 9th Central Committee, C.C.P.

Replaces Chu Ch'1-wen.

Wang started army career in 1931. Became Director, Political Depart-
ment (Political Commissar) 5th Army Group.

1950 - Ambassador to Rumania. 1954 Ambassador to Norway.

1958 - CPR's first Ambassador to

Cambodia.

1963 - Counsellor, M.F.A.

1963 - Appointed Ambassador to Cuba

(arrived May 1964).

Replaces Ch'en Shu-liang.

Formerly P.L.A.

+

1950 Assistant Head of Political

Department, Propaganda Dept, P.L.A.

Cambodia

K'ang Kao-chao

(newly appointed)

Left for post 6.6.by.

1950 (Oct)

-

-

Counsellor, Chinese Embassy, New Delhi,

1954 Counsellor for Cultural

Affairs, New Delhi.

1956

-

1959

1964

Counsellor, Chinese Embassy,

Afghanistan.

Vice-Director, Information Department, M.F.A.

Chargé d'Affaires a.i.

Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

-1-

I

POST

AMBASSADOR

Pakistan

Chang T'ung

(newly appointed)

1955

-

1961

-

Left for post

7.6.69.

1962

Born: 1919

1964

Zambia

Ch'in Li-chen

1950 1955

-

Returned to his post 12.6.69.

1958 - 1960

Born 1914

REMARKS

Replaces Chang Wen-chin.

Chang T'ung was a Senior Colonel.

Military Attaché, Stockholm, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. in Stanleyville.

+

-

Deputy Director, 1st Asian Department, M.F.A.

Director, 1st Asian Depart- ment, M.F.A.

Head of Visa Section, M.F.A. Deputy Director, Consular Department,
M.F.A.

Director, Consular Department,

H.F.A.

1959 - Member, Commission for Over- seas Chinese Affairs.

1962 - Ambassador to Norway. 1965 - Ambassador to Zambia.

Replaces Ho Ying.

1945 Political Commissar, PLA

Army Units, Chefoo.

-

Identified as Kajor-General of P...A.

Ambassador to Czechoslovakia.

Tanzania

Chung Hai-tung (newly appointed)

1957

Left for post

12.6.69.

1961

Guinea

Han K'o-hua

Replaces Ch'ai Tae-min.

1954

-

(newly-appointed)

weft for post

12.6.69.

1960 1964

-

Rumania

Chang Hai-feng

(newly appointed)

Left for post

17.6.69.

Identified as Director of

Department of Industrial

Production, C.C.P.Committee, Wuhan.

Vice-Governor, Hupeh. Ambassador to Hungary.

Replaces Ts'eng Yung-chuan.

Chang was first noted in February 1964 when he was appointed Chinese
Ambassador to the German Democratic Republic.

He was

reported in Hsinhua (5.7.67) as still being Chinese Ambassador to
G.L.k.but at Peking airport when ashes of 4 Chinese diplomats killed in
a car accident in Germany were returned to Peking. According to U.R.S.
Who's Who in Communist China this Chang Hal-feng is identical with a man
who in September 1959 was a Deputy

Secretary, Kweichow Provincial C.C.P. Committee.

-2-

POST

weten

Congo (B)

Syrie

Nepal

AMBASSADOR

REMARKS

Wang Tung

(newly-appointed)

Left for post

17.6.69.

Wang Yu-t'ien

(newly-appointed)

Lert for post

19.6.69.

Born: 1914.

Chin Chia-lin

(newly-appointed)

Left for post

19.6.69.

Born: 1919.

Wang Tse

(newly-appointed)

Left for post

12.7.69.

Replaces Yang Po-chen.

Wang was first noted in August 1954 as Chargé d'Affaires a.I. in Albania
(actually First Secretary).

In 1964 he was Counsellor (acting as Chargé a.1.) in Rumania.

Last noted as Chargé à.i. in Rumania early 1967.

Replaces Chou Chiu-yeh 1951-56 Counsellor, Berlin.

1953

Chargé,

1955 Deputy Director, FA, Protocol. 1957 Acting Director,

1958 Director, Socialist States

Department, MFA.

1959 Director, Soviet & E. European Affairs Department, KFA.
1359-Ambassador to Sudan.

1962

1962 Director, W.Asian & African

Affairs Department, MFA.

1964 Ambassador to Kenya,

Replaces Chen Tan.

1957 Counsellor, London.

1957 Chargé d'A a.1., London.

1960

H

妆

H

1963 Deputy Director,FA,Information.

1965 Director, MFA.

1967

Replaces Yang Kung-su.

虹

In Dec.1950 a man of this name (formerly a Political Commissar in the
P.L.A.) was already a Counsellor, Chinese Embassy in Denmark.

1955-61 Consul-General at Lashio,

North Burna.

1964 Director, General Affairs

Department, H.F.A.

1965 Consul-General at Dacca

(Pakistan).

-3-

POST

AMBASSADOR

REMARKS

Mauretania

Feng Yu-chiu

(newly-appointed)

Left for post:

15.7.69.

Hsieh Pang-chih (newly-appointed)

Replaces Lu Chih-hsien. 1949-51 Deputy Head, Highway

Administration, Ministry of Communications.

1956-58. Assistant to Minister

of Communications until November 1958.

1961

Apr.

1961

Member, Technicians' delegation to Kompong-Som, Cambodia, to study
trade: China-Cambodia.

Director, Bureau of Ocean Jul. Transportation, Ministry

of Communications.

1964 General Manager, Ocean

Transport Corporation of China.

1965

Jan.

Ambassador to Norway.

1967 Recalled to Peking.

Jan.

Replaces Ch'en Feng.

Afghanistan

1950

-1952

Left for post:

17.7.69.

1955

(Wuhan Council Member,

& 2nd Deputy Secretary (c.c.p.

Director, Org.Dept,C.C.P., Wuhan.

Assistent to Minister of Communications.

1955- (Assistant to Minister of

1958 (Supervision.

Deputy Minister, Super-

vision.

-4-

1958

1958

Deputy Minister of

-1959

Justice.

1960

Council Member, Sino-

Latin American Friendship

Association.

1960

Commander, Militia Div.,

Chiaotung University,

Shanghai.

1960

Political Commissar, ditto,

1961

Secretary-General, C.C.P. Shanghai Municipal Cttee.

1962

President, Chiaotung Univ, Shanghai; Secretary,

1962 1967

Standing Cttee, Shanghai C.C.P.

Ambassador to Bulgaria.

Left for Peking "temporar- ily".

POST

AKBASSADOR

REMARKS

Replaces Ts'eng Tao

Formerly an Assistant Political Commissar in P.L.A.

Algeria

Yang Chi-liang

(newly-appointed).

1950

Left for post:

19.7.69.

1955

1958

Yemen