THE PRC AND ARMS CONTROL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-464-5-2-9
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 41
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 7, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 15, 1971
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/11 : LOC-HAK-464-5-2-9
MEMORANDUM.
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
OSD, DOS, JCS reviews
completed
INFORMATION
June 15, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR: DR. KISSINGER
FROM: JOHN H. HOLDRIDGL 7
SUBJECTS The PRC and Arms Control
At Tab A is an issues paper on the PRC and arms control which was
prepared by ; 1.- DA for the NSC Meeting of March 25 on (SSMs 106 and 107.
ACDA proposed in this paper that we take an appropriate opportunity to
exchange. viewa? with the PRC on: a renunciation of force declaration;
a Washington.-Peking hot line; information exchange on nuclear weapons
safeguards; agreement not to possess biological weapons; Pugwash-type
unofficial arms control talks; and a conference of the five nuclear powers
to discuss ace a1 war, command and control, and arrangements for
emergency communication.
You will recall that the conseltaus at the March 25 NSC meeting was that
ACDA's proposals were not a matter of urgent priority. I have reserva-
tions with respect to several of them, as follows:
- The renunciation of force propoaal.'t Iries with it too many
connotation a:. of than sterile debate in which vim, and the PRC engaged for so
long over a renunciation of force agreement that touched on T Taiwan, and
the failure to touch on Taiwan in its present wording might give the PR C
grounds for deala-g: with Taiwan as an internal issue. Certainly the
political effect on the ROC would be severe.
-- An agreement not to possess biological weapons might cause the
Chinese to bring. up the "germ warfare" charges which they made against
us in the Kor, ,war. We certainly do not wish to rehash the past, and
the ACDA paper ite,f lists more disadvantages than advantages.
The five-power conference might smack too much to the Chinese
of an effort to impose nuclear restrictions on them and hence objectionabl
To Peking, the NPT and the Partial..Test Ban Treaty were :;nuclear
blackmail, " i. e. efforts by the nuclear superpowers to restrict the
ability of the lesser powers to develop their defensive capability.
Ila T-
:aNSITI E
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
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IKSI'I IVE
At Tab B are the sections of NSSM 124 on next steps toward the PRC
which list the groups of recommended options, including arms control
options, we.rn ht wish. to follow. You will notice that the State, Defense,
and CIA have hi 7nnucl the same reservations as I have had (although
not for precisely the. same reasons), and list a information exchange on
nuclear weapoi a,saf+ guards and Pugwash-type meetings under Group I;
a Washington-P,. hot line under Group II; and a renunciation of force
agreement and af`j'ive-power meeting under Group III.
Itmigl*be noted that .r n ciation of force question is not strictly
spe iri an ": ~ 'control option,s since it involves a much wider range lati ~at~ ~oi~r ~~ Tab C ii it
n gs .a f~ spar on this issue which was prepared
by low- up to the SRG meeting which
preceded the ar h Z ;;NSC meeting. ' It points out the problems and
disadvsts',rges with respect to the. R,od and opinion in other parts of
+A i.a, '.*Ad s gjests,;rneans of haandling these reactions.
TOP SECRET'ISENSITI"V E
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Number Lof_~y copies, series
S ;CItE7'f LTriDIS
UNITED STATES ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT AGENCY
WASHINGTON
Marc , 1971
OFFICE, OF
MEMORANDUM FOR MR. HENRY A. KISSINGER,
Subject: -China and Arms Control
INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
I attach our issues paper on "US--China Arms Control
`Talks", which you a"sked about at the Senior... Review Group
meeting on Friday, March 12.
This is a planning paper.
would presumably have to await
Warsaw talks, except that
Action in this field
the.xesumption of the
--._Ve have carried out one of the recom-
milenc3ations. We suggested to the Romanians that
,they invite Chinese participation in Pug-wash, to
be held in Bucharest this year.
We are now developing with the State
-Department a response to your request to Under-
Secretary Irwin rpgardi-g rLnunciation of
force declaration. - T
The other proposals in the paper need inter-agency
review.
Attachment:
Issues Paj,)er - "US-China Arms Control Talks"
Group 1
-
Err. e%"I"r /T r-,Dill automatic
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SECRET/7.11' D1S
ISSUES PAPER
SECRET/LDIDIS
Group 1
Excluded from autornn ti_c
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downnradinry and
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/11 : LOC-HAK-464-5-2-9 .
..US--China Arms Control. Talks-.
Renunciation of Force
Washington-Peking Hot Line
Information E:.change on Nuclear Weapon-, Safeguards.
Agreement Not to Possess Biological Weapons
11
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-- After the. 17arsaw talks---with- Chia--resume-,--or- in-ano-t4er
appropriate forum, the US should propose an exchange of views
_ on one or more of the following arms control measures:
US-China Arms Cozitrol:s
1955
about a re:iurnciation_of forc
lE ration based on a
---draft
,
presented by. China' rfailed__to result in an agreement.
While
there
has been some limited and general discussion of
arms
control
at Warsaw; we have never made specific proposals
which
could
pro'iide.the basis for an-exploratory dialogue or
..-r in::ormati.on exchange on nuclear weapons
a ::enunciation of force dec-laration
a- ~tashingtonking hot lir..e
sa:eguards
ag::eement not to possess biological weapons
-~ Pi wash type unofficial arras control talks.
-- a i.onference of the five nuclear powers to
diuss accidental war, command and control,
? 'and arrangements for emergEncy communication.
These meats Tres .have been selected 1 ecause they might pro
vide some commo'i rgr'ou.nd 'between the US End the PRC where there
has been none b.~fore. Discussions with China at Warsaw in
for understandings or agreements with Peking on arms control
matters.
SECRET /T TflDX S
From the 1J point of view, these proposals could carry
forward the. Pre ;ident's policy of seeki'-~g improvement of
relations with ?eking. Within the context of the triangular
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/11 : LOC-HAK-464-5-2-9
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/11: LOC-HAK-464-5-2-9
US-Soviet-China relationship, they would be a partial but .
none t 1leless significant counterpoise to the special US-Sov
iet rE presentec1 by SALE . They. would give meaning
and content to our declared policy of n,:utraiity in the
Sino-Soviet cor,fllct. Arms talks with .hc P1W would also
favorably affect developments in Japan, alleviating Japanese
concerns over Peking's growing nuclear capability and con-
stricting those in Japan who might wish to rearm. Finally,
as: Pek+ng:'s nu-clear-capability -grows it is-increasingly
important and urgent that we find areas of possible consensus
:-between the US and the PRC on-arms cone:-ol..
The PRC might value discussion of these measures because
of their political significance, not necessarily for their
SECRET/T.TM?Il)IS
intrinsic arms control value. Peking m=_htbeli_eve that
some responsiveness to US initiatives oil aims control, would
be interpreted as signaling an interest in a change in US-PRC
relations and would enhance Peking's bargaining power vis-a-vis
Moscow.
lusion against her. In- the somewhat longer run, the PRC may
see the success 6f-bon-proliferation to be in its o;-7n interest,
unproductive at this time to propose'me1, + f S fi'-; ?a3re i:y~ DET :f R ii -
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