WS: SINO-SOVIET TALKS UNDER WAY IN PEKING

Created: 10/24/1969

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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SUMMARY

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The WEEKLY SUMMARY, issued every Friday morninjt by Ihe Office of Current Intelligence, reports and analyzes significant developments of the week through noon on Thursday. Itincludes material coordinated with or prepared by the Office of Economic Research, the Office of Strategic Research, and the Directorate of Science and Technology. Topicsmore comprehensive treatment and therefore publishedas Special Reports are listed in the contents pages

WARNING

The WEEKLY SUMMARY contains classified informationthe national security of the United States, within the meaninj of. of the US Code, as amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents to orby an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.

DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

The WEEKLY SUMMARY MUST NOT BE RELEASED TO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS and must be handled within the framework of specific dissemination control provisions of.

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Sino-Soviet Talks Under Way in Peking

sevon months ofposturing, veiled andthreats, and occasional open fighting, China and the USSRborder talks in Peking onctober. Although thewill probably be protracted and difficult, both sides have good reason to seek some degree of accommodation. For thethe issue is simple: ossible war. Soviet military andpressure, including hints of Russian nuclear attack, has had the desired effect ofPeking to the table.

The Chinese, increasingly concerned over Soviet intentions, fear that future border clashes could be usedretext for Soviet attack. The Russians feel that others have taken advantage of their preoccupation with the China problem and want relief from the harassment, uncertainty, and political embarrassment that the border tension has caused them. Soviet diplomats areat pains to depict recent Sino-Soviet developments in an optimistic light, probably in part to convey the impression that Moscow is no longer tied down by this issue.

Moscow, judging that it holds both military and political advantage over thecan be expocted to pressettlement that wouldthe border issue from the stable of fundamental Sino-Soviet differences. The Soviets also appear hopeful that the talks

can lead to more normal statesuch as the return of ambassadors. Kosygin is reported to have made such suggestions at his meeting oneptember with Chou En-lai, and the TASSannouncing the beginning of the Peking talks implied that Moscow expected issues other than the border to be taken up.

On the other hand, thare has been no sign of Chinese readiness to arrive atar-reaching accommodation on soviet terms. hinese position paper releasedctober strongly reiterated Peking's demand that Moscowthe present frontier as based on Czarlst "unequalandew "equal treaty" be signed to replace thorn. This was the long standing Chineset,hat collapsed the last Sino-Soviet border talks In addition, Peking clearly indicated in its agreement to meet with the Russians that the questionermanent and over-all settlement should be shelved in favor of reaching agreement on interim steps to cool down the dangerous situation on the frontier.

esult, quick agreement seems passible only on military withdrawal from disputed border areas, as well as other tactical steps to minimize the chance of. further border conflict. in resolving thornyissues, such as ownership of the islands in the Ussuri and Amur rivers where fighting broke out last spring, will be far more difficult.

SECRET

Page 6 WEEKLYOct 69

Peking, meanwhile, is still warning its populationoviet militaryof the Chinese "war campaign' designed togreater domestic unity, within thisomestic broadcast

ofctober rationalized

Peking's acceptance of talksecessary "revolutionary" ploy to counter Moscow'sdual tactics" ofnegotiations while preparing for aggression. 1

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Original document.

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