176 10036 10102

176-10036-10102 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

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AGENCY: NARA RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10102 RECORD SERIES: National Security Files AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : CIA FROM : TO: TITLE: CIA Information Telegram DATE: 3/19/1963 PAGES: 3 SUBJECTS: DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS: National Security Files, Box 197: Vietnam, 2/63-3/63. Box 2

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TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM Vietnam CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C Secs 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L NO FOREIGN DISSEM COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM/CHINA (TAIWAN) REPORT NO. TDCS-3/540,863 SUBJECT DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN PRESIDENT DIEM AND DATE DISTR. 19 MARCH 1963 VICE PRESIDENT CHEN CHENG OF NATIONALIST CHINA DATE OF 4-9 MARCH 1963 PRECEDENCE ROUTINE INFO. REFERENCES IN 89258 PLACE & VIETNAM, SAIGON (5-12 MARCH 1963) DATE ACO. APPRAISAL SEE BELOW FIELD REPORT NO. FVS-8661 FILE THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE. SOURCE A HIGH-LEVEL MEMBER (B) OF THE CHINESE NATIONALIST DIPLOMATIC ESTABLISHMENT IN SAIGON WHO IS BELIEVED TO REPORT WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS GOVERNMENT, A CHINESE BUSINESSMAN (F) WITH EXTENSIVE CONTACTS IN THE CHINESE COMMUNITY, AND A MEMBER (F) OF THE CHINESE NATIONALIST DIPLOMATIC ESTABLISHMENT IN SAIGON.

APPR. IT IS PROBABLY TRUE THAT LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS OCCURRED BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS AND POSSIBLY TRUE THAT THE SUBJECTS INDICATED WERE COVERED. : 1. DURING THE VISIT OF NATIONALIST CHINA'S (CHINAT) VICE PRESIDENT CHEN CHENG TO SOUTH VIETNAM FROM 4 TO 9 MARCH 1963, HE AND PRESIDENT NGO DINH DIEM CONVERSED IN EXCESS OF TWENTY HOURS, CHIEFLY IN PRIVATE WITH ONLY AN INTERPRETER PRESENT. THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WAS EVIDENCED BY THE EXPRESSIONS ON THE FACES OF THE TWO MEN FOLLOWING THEIR VARIOUS CONVERSATIONS. THE CONTENTS OF THE CONVERSATIONS DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE ADVISORS OF EITHER PARTICIPANT. : : r 2. CHEN DELAYED HIS SCHEDULED DEPARTURE FROM SAIGON FOR 24 HOURS TO PERMIT HIM TO TRAVEL WITH DIEM TO DALAT, WHERE, EXCEPT FOR A BRIEF C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS NO FOREIGN DISSEM STATE/INR DIA ARMY/ACSI NAVY AİR JCS SECDEF NSA NIC AID USIA OCI ONE OCR STATE/DIR GROUP 1 Excluded from automatic downgrading and dectasufication ORR OB 00 EXO TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM

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CLASSIFICATION DISSEMINATION CONTROLS CONFIDENTIAL NO FOREIGN DISSEM TDCS-3/540,863 89258 PAGE 2

VISIT TO THE MILITARY SCHOOL, THE ENTIRE TIME WAS. DEVOTED TO PRIVATE TALKS. MEMBERS OF THE CHEN ENTOURAGE WERE NOT NOTIFIED UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT OF THE REVISED SCHEDULE NOR WERE THEY GIVEN ANY INDICATION AS TO THE CONTENT OF THE DISCUSSIONS. :: 3. MEMBERS OF THE CHINAT DELEGATION AND OF THE CHINAT DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY SPECULATED THAT THE TWO MAIN TOPICS OF CONVERSATION WERE. GREATLY INCREASED CHINAT MILITARY SUPPORT FOR SOUTH VIETNAM, AND THE USE OF SOUTH VIETNAM AS A BASE FOR CHINAT MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST THE CHINA MAINLAND. CHEN IS BELIEVED TO HAVE OFFERED DIEM UNRESTRICTED MILITARY TRAINING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT, PLUS UP TO ONE DIVISION OF COMBAT TROOPS TO FIGHT IN VIETNAMESE ARMY UNIFORMS. CHEN IS ALSO THOUGHT TO HAVE ASKED DIEM TO CEASE DRAFTING OVERSEAS CHINESE IN VIETNAM, WHICH IS CAUSING THE CHINATS EMBARASSMENT, I.E., DEMONSTRATIONS BY THESE LOCAL CHINESE AGAINST THE CHINAT EMBASSY IN SAIGON AND APPEALS TO THE CHINAT AMBASSADOR. CHEN PROBABLY ASKED DIEM TO PUB- LICLY SUPPORT THE CHINAT MAINLAND COUNTERATTACK THEME AND TO GRANT AIR- FIELD AND COASTAL BASES FOR CHINAT MILITARY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE OPERATIONS AGAINST THE SOUTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF CHINA. OTHER LIKELY TOPICS OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE TWO MEN WERE THE CONDUCTING OF JOINT OPERATIONS INTO NORTH VIETNAM AND LAOS, THE MATTER OF THAILAND'S MOVEMENT TOWARDS NEUTRALITY, AND JOINT EFFORTS TO UNSEAT CAMBODIA'S SIHANOUK, WHOM THE CHINATS FEEL ISA LACKEY OF CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS CONFIDENTIAL NO FOREIGN DISSEM

CLASSIFICATION DISSEMINATION CONTROLS CONFIDENTIAL : NO FOREIGN DISSEM TDCS-3/540,863 89258 PAGE 3 : PEIPING. CONCENSUS AMONG THE CHINAT COMMUNITY AND CHEN'S DELEGATION WAS THAT SOME ACCORD WAS REACHED BY THE TWO LEADERS, AS CHEN WAS IN EXCELLENT SPIRITS AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS VISIT. 4. -ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT SLOW IN GETTING STARTED, THE VISIT DID RESULT IN BRINGING THE TWO GOVERNMENTS CLOSER TOGETHER, PARTICULARLY THE COUNTERPARTS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES. THE VISIT ALSO SERVED A USEFUL PURPOSE IN EFFECTIVELY IMPRESSING THE LOCAL CHINESE POPULATION, WHICH TURNED OUT MORE OR LESS SPONTANEOUSLY IN AN ESTIMATED ONE HUNDRED THE THOUSAND ALONG THE ROUTE TO/AIRPORT TO CHEER CHEN WHEN HE DEPARTED. THE APPARENTLY GENUINE ENTHUSIASM OF THE USUALLY APATHETIC VIETNAMESE CHINESE CAME AS A SURPRISE EVEN TO THE LOCAL CHINAT DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY. 5. FIELD DISSEM. STATE ARMY NAVY AIR USMACV MAAG AID USIA CINCPAC PACFLT ARPAC PACAF 9TH FIELD STATION 2ND AIR DIVISION. CONFIDENTIAL END OF MESSAGE CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS NO FOREIGN DISSEM