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{
    "localId": "218719350",
    "label": "Memorandum from Averell Harriman to President Harry S. Truman, with Attachment and Related Material",
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    "id": "218719350",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum from Averell Harriman to President Harry S. Truman, with Attachment and Related Material",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/218719350",
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        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
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        {
            "logicalDate": "1951-07-01",
            "month": 7,
            "year": 1951
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{
    "seq": 21,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "TOP SECPET\n- 19 -\ninformed Stalin that both the Chinese Government and the Chinese\nCommuni st Party claimed to follow the principles of Sun Yat-sen\nfor the establishment of a government of the people, by the people\nand for the people in China. I continued that the National\nGovernnent and the Chinese Communist Party are both strongly anti-\nJapanese and that the purpose of both is to drive the Japanese\nfrom China. Beyond question there are issues between the Chinese\nCommunis Party and the Chinese Government, but both are pursuing\nthe same principal objective, namely, the defeat of Japan and the\ncreating of a free, denocratic and united government in China.\nBecause of past conflicts there are many differences on details\nexisting between the tiro parties. I made clear American insistence\nthat China supply its own leadership, arrive at its own decisions,\nand be responsible for its own policies. with this in mind, the\nUnited States had endorsed China's aspirations to establish a\nfree, united governnent and supported all efforts for the unifica-\ntion of the arned forces of China. I informed hin that President\nRoosevelt had authorised me to discuss this subject with Prime\nMinister Churchill and that the complete concurrence of Prime\nMinister Churchill and Foreign Secretary Eden had been obtained\nin the policy of endorsement of Chinese aspirations to establish\nfor herself a united, free, and democratic government and for the\nunification of all armed forces in China in order to bring about\nthe defeat of Japan. To promote the foregoing program it had been\ndecided to support the National Goverment of China under the lead-\nership of Chiang Kai-shek. Stalin stated frankly that the Soviet\nGovernment would support the policy. He added that he would be\nglad to cooperate with the United States and Britain in achieving\nunification of the military forces in China. He spoke favorably\nRECORDS\nof Chiang Kai-shek and said that while there had been corruption\n(SERVICEM\nanong certain officials of the National Oovernment of China, he\nCONTINUED\nknew that Chiang Kai-shek was !selfless', la patriot and that the\nSoviet in times past had befriended him. I then related to Stalin\nand Molotov the request made by the Chinese Communists for repre-\nsentation at the San Francisco Conference. I told them that before\nleaving China I had advised the Chinese Communists that the\nconforence at San Francisco was to be a conference of goveriments\nand not of political parties and that I had advised the Communists\nto request representation at San Francisco through the National\nGovernment of the Republic of China. I told him that this decision\nhad been upheld by President Roosevelt and that the President had\nadvised Chiang Kai-shek of the advisability of the National Govern-\nment's permitting the Chinese Communist Party to be represented\non the Chinese National Government's delegation to the conference\nat San Francisco. I told the Marshal that it was a very hopeful\nsign when Chiang Kai-shek offered a place on the delegation to\nSan Francisco to a Chinese Communist and that the appointment had\nbeen accepted. I told Stalin that I thought it was very hopeful\nthat a leading member of the Chinese Communist Party would be a\ndelegate of the Chinese National Oovernment at San Francisco.\nStalin agreed that this development was very significant and he\napproved. I told him that Prosident Roosevelt and Prine Minister\nChurchill had indicated their approval of the policy outlined.\nTOP SECRET"
}