Republic for a peaceful settlement of the Korean question. These proposals not only are in full accord with the eager desire of all Korean people for the peaceful unification of their motherland, but also will open up a new practicable avenue for easing the tension in the Far East. The Chinese Government fully endorses and supports this important peace proposal made by the Government of the Korean Democratic People's Republic.

The Chinese Government and people, starting from the fundamental position that the Korean question should be settled by the Korean people themselves, have consistently opposed foreign interference in Korean affairs, and firmly held that all foreign forces should be withdrawn from Korea. At the very beginning of the Korean war, the Chinese Government and people maintained that the United States aggression forces should be withdrawn from Korea immediately. It was only when the warning served by the Chinese Government and people had been spurned by the United States, and when the United States forces had not only invaded the Korean Democratic People's Republic but at the same time occupied China's Taiwan and seriously jeopardized the security of China that the Chinese people organized their volunteers to proceed to Korea to resist United States aggression together with the Korean people. During the Korean Armistice negotiations and after the realization of the Armistice, the Government of China and the Korean Democratic People's Republic again proposed continuously that all foreign forces should be withdrawn from North and South Korea simultaneously, and maintained that this was the primary condition for the holding of free elections throughout Korea and the realization of the peaceful unification of Korea. The United States, however, not only rejected all along this reasonable proposal of the Chinese and Korean side, but violated the Korean Armistice Agreement again and again, and recently even openly introduced atomic weapons into South Korea thus further converting South Korea into its colony and atomic base. As pointed out in the statement by the Government of the Korean Democratic People's Republic, the continued occupation of South Korea by United States forces is the basic cause for the indefinite putting-off of the peaceful unification of Korea and for the increasingly serious threat to peace in Korea.

The Chinese people have always been concerned about peace in Korea. The Chinese Government has never spared its efforts in promoting a peaceful settlement of the Korean question. Now when the aspirations of the peoples of Asia and the world for peace have risen to unprecedented heights and there are greater possibilities for peaceful settlement of major international issues, the Chinese Government

holds that the Korean situation should not be allowed to deteriorate further. In order to break the deadlock on the Korean question, promote a peaceful settlement of the Korean question and relax tension in the Far East, the Chinese Government deems that all foreign forces should be withdrawn from Korea within a set period of time, and the Chinese Government is prepared to discuss with the Government of the Korean Democratic People's Republic on the question of withdrawal of the Chinese People's Volunteers from Korea. The Chinese Government asks the Governments of the United States and of other countries participating in the United Nations forces also to take measures to withdraw from South Korea United States and all other foreign forces. The Chinese Government hopes that all countries concerned about peace in the Far East and the world would take positive steps to urge the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Korea so as to create a favourable condition for a peaceful settlement of the Korean question and the safeguarding of peace in the Far East and the world.

Note Transmitted by the United Kingdom to the Communist Chinese Authorities on Behalf of the Governments Participating in the United Nations Command, April 9, 19581

Her Majesty's Charge d'Affaires presents his compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, on instructions from Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has the honour to state that, as requested by the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs on 7 February, the statement on Korea made on that date by the Government of the People's Republic of China has been communicated to the Governments of the countries which have contributed forces for the United Nations force in Korea, who, after consultation, have requested Her Majesty's Government to reply on their behalf.

The Governments of the countries which have contributed forces for the United Nations force in Korea have noted the statement made by the North Korean authorities on 5 February and that made by the People's Republic of China and communicated to Her Britannic Majesty's Charge d'Affaires in Peking on 7 February. They have

1 Text from U.N. doc. A/3821, Apr. 10, 1958.

given careful study to these statements and to the proposals made therein.

The Governments concerned reaffirm that their aim in Korea is to see the establishment of a unified, independent and democratic Korea, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. To this end, as they have often stated, they wish to see free elections held under United Nations supervision for the constitution of a National Assembly. They are glad to note that the North Korean authorities and the People's Republic of China also favour free elections and they welcome the announcement that Chinese forces are to be withdrawn from North Korea.

There appears, however, to be some doubt as to the precise interpretation to be placed on the North Korean proposals. A variety of statements is reported to have been made, for example, by North Korean representatives in Peking and Moscow, to the effect that the "purpose of supervision by a neutral nations organization was to see that all political parties and public figures in both North and South Korea would have freedom of action, speech, publication, assembly and association" but that "such supervision should not intervene in the elections". These interpretations appear to call for some clarification and the Governments of the countries concerned would be glad to know whether, when the North Korean authorities speak of a "neutral nations organization" to supervise the elections, they accept that these should be held under United Nations auspices and that there should be adequate supervision not only of the preliminaries but also of the elections themselves. They would also be glad to know whether it is accepted that representation in the new National Assembly shall be in proportion to the indigenous population.

If the People's Republic of China will seek from the North Korean authorities clarification of the points mentioned above with such other details of the Korean proposals as may be relevant, they will be given careful consideration.

A copy of this reply is being transmitted to the United Nations.

Note From the Communist Chinese Authorities Transmitted to the Governments Participating in the United Nations Command, May 6, 19581

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China presents its compliments to the Office of the British Charge d'Affaires in China and asks it to communicate the following to the British Government and through the British Government to the Governments of the other countries on the United Nations Command side.

On April 9, 1958, the British Government on behalf of the Governments of the countries on the United Nations Command side delivered to the Chinese Government, Note No. 35, as a reply to the statements made by the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Government of the People's Republic of China respectively on February 5 and 7, 1958. The Chinese Government in its own name and entrusted by the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea hereby replies to the Note of the British Government as follows.

The Korean and Chinese Governments, reviewing the situation in the past three months, are glad to note that the proposals of the Korean and Chinese Governments for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Korea and the peaceful settlement of the Korean question have won the warm support and approval of many countries and peoples. Particularly, the fact that the Chinese People's volunteers have decided to withdraw completely from Korea by stages and in groups and are carrying out the withdrawal, has opened up a new and practical way for the peaceful settlement of the Korean question. However, the Korean and Chinese Governments cannot but point out with regret that while the peace-loving countries and people throughout the world have expected the United States and the other countries on the United Nations Command side to withdraw also all United Nations forces from Korea, just as the Chinese People's volunteers are being withdrawn, the United Nations Command side has up to now failed to take any positive measure on the question of the withdrawal of forces. Furthermore, in their reply to the Korean and Chinese statements which took as long as two months, the Governments of the United States and the other countries of the United Nations Command side have by-passed the question of withdrawal of forces which is the most urgent and practical step in the peaceful settlement of the Korean question, and, for ulterior purposes, have

'Text from Department of State files (tel. 722 to Seoul, May 12, 1958, file 795.00/5-1258, unclassified).

diverged to the question of so-called clarification on the supervision of elections to entangle the issue, although a clear cut attitude on this question was set out by the Korean Government in its statement of February 5. The Korean and Chinese Governments see in this behaviour of the Governments of the countries on the United Nations Command side an obvious attempt to divert the attention of the people of the world to escape from its inevitable responsibility of withdrawal of its forces from Korea and to cover up the scheme of the United States to prolong its occupation of South Korea, to continue to obstruct the peaceful unification of Korea and to further create tension in the Far East.

The Korean and Chinese Governments deem it necessary once again to call on the Government of the countries of the United Nations Command side to face squarely the present situation favourable for the peaceful settlement of the Korean question brought about by the initiative of the Chinese People's volunteers in withdrawing from Korea, as well as their responsibility before the Korean people and the people of the world. Facts are more eloquent than words. If the Governments of the United States and the other countries on the United Nations Command side are averse to proving themselves to be persistently obstructing the peaceful unification of Korea and relaxation of tension in the Far East, they should show good faith by the actual withdrawal of their forces. All attempts to find pretexts to evade this will be of no avail.

The Korean and Chinese Governments would like to know when the Governments of the United States and the other countries on the United Nations Command side intend to withdraw all their forces from South Korea. Whether all United Nations forces would withdraw speedily from Korea will be an evidence of the presence or not of goodwill on the part of the Governments of the countries on the United Nations Command side for a peaceful settlement of the Korean question. The Korean people eagerly desire an early realisation of the peaceful unification of their motherland and the peoples of the world are anxious for relaxation of tension in the Far East and the world. The Korean and Chinese Governments have done much in the past for the fulfilment of these desires, and will continue to make untiring efforts in the future. The Korean and Chinese Governments consistently maintain that only a complete withdrawal of all foreign forces from Korea will provide the necessary condition for a peaceful settlement of the Korean question, including the question of holding free elections. Provided that the Governments of the United States and the other countries on the United Nations Command side will clearly decide to withdraw all United Nations forces from South