July 1953 After the end of the Korean War , China and the United States were in a state of sharp confrontation. The US government continued to adhere to the policy of hostility to China, including not recognizing the Government of the People's Republic of China as a legitimate government, using various means such as politics and diplomacy to prevent the restoration of the legitimate seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations , preventing China from unifying Taiwan, and imposing an economic blockade on China, etc. The tense confrontation between the two sides in the Taiwan Strait region is particularly prominent. Since the US Seventh Fleet entered the Taiwan Strait in June 1950, the US government has made Taiwan a strategic base to contain China, so that the Taiwan issue has become the core issue of the Sino-US confrontation. In February 1953, in order to exert political and military pressure on China to obtain ceasefire conditions in favor of the United States on the Korean battlefield, the Eisenhower administration, which had just come to power, announced that the United States would no longer implement the so-called "isolation" policy on the Taiwan Strait, namely the so-called "release Chiang out of the cage", to encourage and support the Kuomintang army's military attacks and harassment on mainland China.
However, China has been recognized by the international community as an emerging power, especially in Asia and the Pacific region. Many regional problems cannot be solved without China. The confrontation between the United States and China needs to be controlled, and there are also some common problems that need to be solved, so the US government cannot actually avoid establishing direct ties with China. This is the fundamental reason why the US government has to negotiate with China under the sharp hostility of China and the United States.
Before the Geneva meeting was held, the Chinese government decided to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the Geneva meeting to strive to open up relations with Western countries. Although there was no clear idea of contact with the US delegation at that time, the Chinese government's guidelines were obviously conducive to establishing contact with the US when opportunities arise. During the meeting, when the British side expressed their willingness to mediate the talks between China and the United States, Zhou Enlai immediately proposed to Beijing for contact and negotiations with the United States, and was quickly approved. During the Geneva meeting, Chinese representatives held four meetings with US representatives, mainly negotiating issues such as Americans who were detained for violations of the law and the United States to prevent Chinese students from returning to China. The talks did not achieve any results, but established channels for future contact between the two sides. The two sides agreed to conduct consular consultations at Geneva starting from September 2.
Geneva Conference was an international conference held in Geneva from April 26 to July 21, 1954 to discuss the peaceful resolution of the North Korean issue and the restoration of peace in Indochina. Shortly after the Geneva Conference, China launched a military operation to liberate the southeast coastal islands. In March 1954, while intensifying military operations against mainland China, the Kuomintang authorities in Taiwan proposed to the United States to conclude a "security treaty" with the aim of taking advantage of the rising US strategic demand for Taiwan to further strengthen military security relations with the United States. At this time, there was also a clamor in the US domestic public opinion, and the US government was brewing the trend of permanently separating Taiwan from China, and hesitating whether to assume the obligation to assist in defense of Taiwan.
The move that the United States and Taiwan authorities may sign a "joint defense treaty" has aroused high vigilance from the Chinese government. In late July 1954, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held an enlarged meeting of the Politburo to discuss the Taiwan issue. The meeting believes that the international environment facing China has improved significantly compared with the past, but if the plan to unite the United States and Chiang Kai-shek succeeds on the Taiwan issue, it will have serious consequences, and the current split between the Taiwan Strait may be fixed; on the other hand, China's relations with the United States will be in a state of tense confrontation for a long time. At that time, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China once said in a telegram: "After the end of the Korean War, we did not propose this task to the people of the whole country in a timely manner (about half a year later), and did not take necessary measures and carry out effective work in the military, diplomatic and propaganda based on this task. This is inappropriate. If we do not propose this task now and do not carry out work, we will make a serious political mistake."In order to prevent this situation from occurring, especially the fixed situation of the separatist situation between the Taiwan Strait, the Politburo meeting put forward the slogan of "Liberating Taiwan". After the meeting ended, all parties launched a propaganda campaign to liberate Taiwan. On August 1, Zhu De, the commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army of China, delivered a speech at the commemoration meeting of the 27th anniversary of the founding of the army, emphasizing that the Chinese people must liberate Taiwan. On the 11th, Zhou Enlai announced again at the 33rd meeting of the Central People's Government Committee: "Taiwan is China's sacred and inviolable territory. The United States will never be allowed to be invaded, nor will it be allowed to be handed over to the United Nations for custody. Liberating Taiwan is China's sovereignty and internal affairs, and other countries are never allowed to interfere. "If foreign invaders dare to prevent the Chinese people from liberating Taiwan, dare to infringe on our sovereignty and undermine our territorial integrity, and dare to interfere in our internal affairs, then they must bear all the serious consequences of this aggression. "This meeting also passed a resolution calling on the people of the whole country and the People's Liberation Army to fight to complete the glorious task of liberating Taiwan. On the 22nd, various democratic parties and people's organizations in China issued a declaration, warmly supporting the decision of the central government to liberate Taiwan. In order to show their determination to unify Taiwan and fight back against the US military threat, the Chinese government ordered the People's Liberation Army to start shelling the Fujian coastal island Kinmen on September 3, thus opening the prelude to the liberation of Zhejiang and Fujian coastal islands. The PLA's military operations have shown the world that China has realized The determination to unify the country, and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region also shook.
In the face of the propaganda of the Chinese government and the People's Liberation Army's military operations on the southeast coast, the United States strengthened military intervention operations, and the U.S. Navy and Air Force strengthened military deployment and military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. government signed the so-called "Common Defense Treaty" with the Kuomintang authorities in early December. The scope of the treaty includes Taiwan and Penghu Islands , which stipulates that according to the signed common agreement between the two parties, the defense scope can be extended to other areas defended by the Kuomintang army. To ensure that The Kuomintang authorities will not be dragged into a sudden war with mainland China. In exchange for protecting Taiwan and Penghu, the US government requires Chiang Kai-shek to secretly guarantee that offensive military actions against mainland China will not be taken without the permission of the United States.
U.S. Secretary of State J.F. Dulles and the Taiwan authorities of China signed a military treaty in Washington on December 2, 1954.
In order to fight back against US interference, China shows that China's decision to safeguard national sovereignty and complete national unity The PLA launched the battle to capture the Dachen Island on January 18, 1955, and conquered Yijiangshan Island in the first battle. The PLA's military action forced the United States to decide to persuade and assist the Kuomintang army to withdraw from Dachen Island. This action temporarily reduced the possibility of a direct military conflict between China and the United States. On April 23, Zhou Enlai issued a statement during the Asian and African conference of : "The Chinese government is willing to sit down with the US government to negotiate and discuss the issue of easing tensions in the Far East, especially the issue of easing tensions in Taiwan. "Zhou Enlai's statement attracted the attention of the international community. The United States later stated that it was not ruled out the possibility of negotiations with China.
Zhou Enlai's statement reflects the Chinese government's policy changes in handling U.S. relations. Zhou Enlai submitted a "Report on the Taiwan Issue" to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on April 30, analyzing the contradictions between China and the United States on the Taiwan issue in a more detailed manner, as well as the purpose of the United States' interference in the Taiwan issue and the attempt to permanently maintain Taiwan's separatist state. The report puts forward the principles that must be adhered to in future Sino-US negotiations. And the strategy to be used, that is, the content of the Sino-US negotiations is to stop the United States from interfering in the Taiwan issue, thereby eliminating tensions in the Taiwan Strait region, rather than discussing the issue of armistice, because there is no war between China and the United States. Since then, Chinese leaders have launched diplomatic activities to make the international community understand China's policies, which is actually indirectly expressing China's position and attitude to the United States to the United States.
In mid-July, with the mediation of the British side, China and the United States decided to upgrade the consular-level talks originally scheduled to be held in Geneva to the ambassador level.The Chinese government attaches great importance to the ambassador-level negotiations that will be initiated. Under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it has specially established a negotiation steering group. Under the direct leadership of Zhou Enlai, it is responsible for arranging negotiations and handling various issues in the negotiations.
The Chinese and US ambassador-level talks began on August 1, 1955 and were held in the United Nations Building in Geneva. The talks are roughly divided into two stages. The first phase will be from August 1 to September 10, and the talks will mainly discuss the return of civilians on both sides. From the beginning of the talks, the US attempted to avoid China's proposal to stop the US interfering in the Taiwan issue. After China's efforts, the two sides reached an agreement on the agenda, that is, to first resolve the issue of civilians returning to China, and to discuss other related issues in the second phase.
The first phase of the talks lasted for 40 days, and the two sides met 14 times, and finally reached an agreement on the return of civilians on September 10. The agreement is characterized by simultaneously listing the views of both parties in the text and then establishing an agreement on common grounds to resolve the return of civilians. This agreement is the first agreement reached after the Chinese and US ambassador level began the talks, and it is also the only agreement reached at the Chinese and US ambassador level talks that lasted for 15 years.
The second phase starts from September 14, 1955 to December 12, 1957. After the agreement reached in the first phase of negotiations, China suggested in mid-September that the talks should immediately enter the discussion on the second agenda and put forward two issues, including the United States lifting the trade embargo on China and preparing for higher-level talks between the two countries. China's goal is to achieve the goal of easing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and easing Sino-US relations by eliminating the U.S. trade embargo and establishing a talks mechanism between the foreign ministers of the two countries. The Chinese representative elaborated on two basic principles during the talks. First, the Chinese government has always advocated that disputes between China and the United States should be resolved peacefully, and China and the United States should promise not to use force from each other. Second, the non-use of force between China and the United States does not mean that the Chinese government promises to liberate Taiwan by not using force. The Chinese government has repeatedly stated that it is willing to liberate Taiwan through peaceful means, but this is China's internal affairs and cannot become a topic of China-US talks. China has always adhered to this principle and position in negotiations involving the Taiwan issue.
The US government does not want to reach a further agreement with the Chinese government at this time. During the talks, the US representative repeatedly refused to discuss the suggestions put forward by China on the grounds that both sides did not reach an agreement on "no use of force" and that the US prisoners in China were not released. Therefore, despite China's efforts, the two sides failed to reach any agreement on the issue of giving up the use of force during the second phase of the talks. Between September 1956 and December 1957, China has successively raised a variety of discussion issues. These topics include promoting exchanges and cultural exchanges between the Chinese and American peoples, regarding the permission of each other's journalists to come for news interviews on the basis of equality and reciprocity, and the draft agreement on mutual judicial assistance. The Chinese government has successively put forward these suggestions, with the purpose of pushing the talks forward and thus ease Sino-US relations.
The US has always refused to discuss various proposals put forward by China. The US government insists on the policy of curbing and isolating China, and its policy on the Taiwan issue is to impose a fixed or even permanent state of separation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Under the guidance of this policy, the purpose of the US continuing negotiations is only to ease tensions, curb the Chinese government's further military actions, and resolve islands such as Kinmen and Mazu on the coast of Fujian, thus causing the United States to be dragged into a military conflict due to tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Therefore, the US side adopts delaying methods in negotiations, while also avoiding negotiation interruption.
At the 73rd meeting on December 12, 1957, the US side proposed that the US ambassador to Poland will no longer participate in the negotiations, and will instead be negotiated by officials who are not ambassadors. In response to the US's attempt to unilaterally reduce the level of talks, China stated that it will no longer continue negotiations with the US. The US's actions to lower the level of negotiations have regressed from deadlock to interruption.
The hostile attitude of the US government in ambassador-level talks and the use of delayed tactical means are one of the important reasons why the Chinese government decided to take military action against Chiang-controlled islands along the coast of Fujian.After the interruption of the ambassador-level talks between China and the United States, Chinese leaders believe that the situation of the ambassador-level talks shows that we must still insist on fighting with the United States and develop relations differently from the US government. On August 23, 1958, the People's Liberation Army troops stationed in Fujian launched a large-scale artillery bombardment on Fujian coastal islands such as Kinmen. The Chinese government declares that the Chinese people's liberation of their territory is unshakable, and the Chinese government has the right to strike and take necessary military actions against the Kuomintang army entrenched on the coastal islands of Fujian. At the same time, Wang Bingnan, the Chinese Ambassador to Poland, who participated in the China-US ambassador-level talks, was ordered to return to China to report on the talks.
Wang Bingnan at Sino-US talks
After the People's Liberation Army shelled Kinmen, the United States immediately strengthened its military deployment in the Taiwan Strait area, but the United States is obviously worried about being dragged into the war. On September 4, US President Eisenhower authorized Secretary of State Dulles to issue a statement saying: The US military will assist in defense of Fujian coastal islands such as Kinmen and Mazu, and at the same time said that the United States will not give up its hope of peaceful negotiations with China. On the same day, the Chinese leaders held a meeting and decided to prepare to resume Sino-US talks in order to cooperate with the military struggle. On September 6, Zhou Enlai issued a statement strongly condemning the US military interference in the Taiwan Strait, and also announced that China is preparing to resume China-US ambassador-level talks when the United States has stated that it has appointed ambassador-level negotiators. On September 15, China and the United States resumed ambassador-level talks in Warsaw .
No agreement was reached on the third phase of the Sino-US ambassador-level talks starting on September 15, 1958. However, the resumption of talks occurred during a period of tension in the Taiwan Strait. For the Chinese government, the purpose and function of the talks have undergone important changes. First of all, the purpose of the ambassador-level talks at the Sino-US level is to understand the US's intentions more accurately through negotiations during crisis times. It was through the ambassador-level talks that the Chinese government made a more accurate judgment that the United States attempted to force Chiang Kai-shek to give up Kinmen and Matsu, thus creating a permanent situation of cross-strait separation. On this basis, the Chinese government decided not to capture Kinmen and Mazu. Secondly, during crisis periods, the Chinese government's position can be conveyed to the US through ambassador-level talks.
From January 7 to 17, 1960, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a Standing Committee meeting to discuss various issues related to China's diplomacy. The meeting basically determined that "try to actively create a new situation in diplomacy." This policy is also implemented in China's policy toward the United States. The Politburo Standing Committee meeting determined the basic policy to deal with relations with the United States - "talk without quickness, talk without breaking", that is, continue negotiations with the United States, neither breaking nor rushing to achieve substantial results. Under the guidance of this policy, the Chinese government's policy toward the United States has shown some new changes.
In May 1960, when Zhou Enlai met with Montgomery , he clearly stated that China is willing to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully. As long as the United States announces that it is willing to withdraw its troops from Taiwan, China and the United States can start negotiations. On August 30, Zhou Enlai met with American journalist Snow . Zhou Enlai made a more flexible suggestion on the issue of US military withdrawal from Taiwan, that is, the United States must first promise to withdraw its military force from Taiwan, and when and how to withdraw, it can be discussed later. On October 18, Zhou Enlai met with Snow again, comprehensively elaborating on the Chinese government's position and policy on issues such as disarmament, China's United Nations seats, nuclear tests and Taiwan, and introducing the situation regarding Sino-Soviet differences. During the conversation, Zhou Enlai showed that he knew the position of Kennedy on China's policy, so it is very likely that his conversation was prepared and targeted. Four days later, Mao Zedong personally met Snow and discussed with him the content of Kennedy's TV debate with Nixon . He clearly told Snow that China would keep Kinmen and Mazu in Chiang Kai-shek's hands that China "want the entire Taiwan region", but China would assume the responsibility of maintaining peace, would not take the initiative to start a war with the United States, and "negotiate to resolve" the Taiwan issue.
In the summer of 1938, Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao met with Edgar Snow in Wuhan
Historically, Chinese leaders have always met with American journalists like Snow.Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai discussed Sino-US relations with Snow so frequently during the US presidential election, probably tempting to deal with the new US leader. Shortly after Kennedy was elected president, Chinese Ambassador to Poland, Wang Bingnan, told the US during the Sino-US ambassador-level talks that he hoped the Kennedy administration would make achievements in the "progress of Sino-US relations." Shortly thereafter, Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Yi expressed the same message when visiting Myanmar . Although these words and deeds from China did not immediately cause major changes in Sino-US relations, it is also a fact that China-US relations have been eased for a while, which is also reflected in the ambassador-level talks.
During the re-tension of the situation in the Taiwan Strait in the summer of 1962, Wang Bingnan was ordered to return to Warsaw and convey to the US through ambassador-level talks that the Chinese government will resolutely fight back against the possible attacks by the Kuomintang army, and the United States will be blamed. The US representative said that he would convey China's statement to the US government, and said that the United States would not support Chiang Kai-shek's military operations to attack the mainland and would do all his strength to prevent it from happening.
In short, after the -China-US ambassador-level talks in 1958, although the two sides did not reach any agreement, through the ambassador-level talks platform, the two countries can express their views, put forward their opinions, and understand each other's intentions in some major international events. After the late 1960s, the Sino-US ambassador-level talks gradually withdrew from the stage of history as China-US relations changed.
