CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1954/12/16

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03009183
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: August 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2019
• Publication Date: December 16, 1954

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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
El DECLASSIFIED
GLASS. CHANGED TO: IS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE. 2o/0
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE: 7e(iM.O. REVIEWEF
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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Noe' Nor
SUMMARY
GENERAL
1. Moscow makes propaganda bid for resumption of diplomatic
relations with Japan (page 3).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. British and French governments approve gasoline shipment to
Hanoi (page 3).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Nasr opposes Arab consultation with West on defense at this
time (page 4).
LATE ITEMS
4. Complaints of truce violation bring additional inspection of
Vietnam-China border (page 5).
5. Possible antiaircraft missile launching sites reported in the
Moscow area (page 6).
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GENERAL
I. Moscow makes propaganda bid for resumption of diplomatic rela-
tions with Japan:
Moscow made its first overture to the
new Japanese government in a broadcast
on 14 December minimizing the obstacles
to Tokyo b resumption of diplomatic relations with the USSR and
Communist China. The Soviet commentator claimed that the Sino-
Soviet Treaty is purely defensive, that Moscow does not object
to Japan possessing necessary defense forces, and that it is an
"absolute lie" that Moscow wants Tokyo to sever its relations
with the United States.
Comment: The Soviet overture chal-
lenges the new Hatoyama government to make good its public
commitment to normalize relations with the Communist world.
Shinsuke Kishi, a key man in the government party, told the Amer-
ican embassy in Tokyo that Yoshida was not "sufficiently enthusias-
tic" in exploring formulas for developing relations with the USSR
and Communist China.
Tokyo will find it extremely difficult to
ignore the Soviet overture, since such action would run counter to
widespread sentiment for diplomatic relations with the Soviet bloc
and would enhance Socialist prospects in the forthcoming elections.
Japanese leaders have indicated that they
consider establishment of relations with Peiping would jeopardize
relations with Washington.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. British and French governments approve gasoline shipment to Hanoi:
The British consul general in Hanoi told
American consul Corcoran that London had
no objection to the shipment of certain
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limited quantities of gasoline and lubri-
cants to the French� owned Hanoi Tram-
way Company.
Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry
has informed the American embassy in Paris that it considers these
shipments justified on the basis of previous needs.
In order to expedite delivery, the French
government favors a trilateral decision to make available only one
month's supply, with future decisions to be left to COCOIVI.
Comment: Jean Sainteny, the French
representative in Hanoi, has been the prime mover in negotiations
regarding the tramway company and other French enterprises in
Tonkin. Although Sainteny's mission is ostensibly economic, his
ultimate goal is to demonstrate the possibility of French-Viet Minh
"coexistence." He has maintained that economic concessions to the
Viet Minh have political value, arguing that the Viet Minh is un-
willing to be completely swallowed up by the Communist Orbit, and
might develop deviationist tendencies if encouraged by the West.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Nasr opposes Arab consultation with West on defense at this time:
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Comment: Nasr is opposed to
Egyptian participation in the "northern tier" arrangement
for Middle East defense and remains insistent on the Arab
Collective Security Pact as the basis for regional defense.
LATE ITEMS
4. Complaints of truce violation bring additional inspection of
Vietnam-China border:
iormea me American consui in Hanoi
that the commission has dispatched a
mobile inspection team to Cao Bang, near the China border, in
response to French complaints made at the urging of the Cana-
dians, French officials had finally released enough of their
intelligence on the illegal shipments to the Viet Minh of Chinese
Communist war materiel to convince the Indian commission
chairman that there were probably grounds for a complaint.
the
Indians and Canadians were then able to force their Polish col-
leagues to agree to mobile team inspection of the entire border
by various means, including helicopter flights. He added, how-
ever, that he fears this inspection may turn out to be a case of
"locking the barn door after the horse is stolen."
Comment: Communist acquiescence to
more adequate supervision of thErborder suggests that the Viet
Minh has largely accomplished its materiel build-up. The heavy
flow of Chinese military supplies during the several months
immediately following the July truce was for the purpose of equip-
ping Viet Minh units being formed as well as resupplying existing
ones.
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5. Possible antiaircraft missile launching sites reported in the
Moscow area:
Comment: Although the purpose of
these complexes has not been determined2 they are possibly in-
tended to become part of the air defenses of the Moscow area.
Such installations might be launching sites for unguided anti-
aircraft rockets or guided surface-to-air missiles.
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