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176-10036-10102

2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

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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23

TELEGRAM

UNFORMATION REPO

RT

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

material

contains information

allecting

tha tronsmission

"thenich in any manner of

the United

States within

unauthorized

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

TELEGRAM

Vietnam

mbinid 6o, sho Espionage Lams, Tilla 18, U.S.G Seco

COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM/CHINA (TAIWAN)

REPORT NO. TDCS-3/540,863

DATE DISTR. 19 MARCH 1963

SUBJECT DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN PRESIDENT DIEM AND

VICE PRESIDENT CHEN CHENG OF NATIONALIST

CHINA

PRECEDENCE ROUTINE

DATE OF 4-9 MARCH 1963

REFERENCES

IN 89258

INFO.

PLACE & VIETNAM, SAIGON (5-12 MARCH 1963)

• DATE ACQ.

APPRAISAL SEE BELOW

FIELD REPORT NO. FVS-8661

THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.

SOURCE A HIGH-LEVEL MEMBER (B) OF THE CHINESE NATIONALIST DIPLOMATIC ESTABLISEMENT 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 ESTABLISEMENT 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 VIETVAM FROM 4 TO 9 MARCH 1963, HE AND PRESIDENT NGO DINE DIEM CONVERSED

IN EXCESS OF IWENTY 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.

2. CHEN DELAYED HIS SCHEDULED DEPARTURE FROM SAIGON FOR 24 HOURS TO PERMIT

HIM TO TRAVEL WITH DIEM IO DALAT, WHERE, EXCEPT FOR A BRIEF

C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L

CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

GROUP 1

Excluded Iram auromain

downgrading and

dectorufirolor

STATE/INR

DIA ARMY/ACSO NAVY!

sCS. SECOEF

AID USIA, OCI ONE

TELEGRAM

INFORMATION REPORT

E

TELEGRAM

SANITIZED IRK 01•197-5.515

FORM 1K6 OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.

(15-29)

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CON

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

TDCS - 3/540,863

MAL

IN

PAGE

89258

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 AGAINS!

THE CHINA MAINLAND. CHEN IS BELIEVED TO HAVE OFFERED DI EM 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, 1.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 IS: A LACKEY OF

•CONFADENTIAL

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

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CONFIDENTIAL

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

TDCS - 3/540,863

IN

PAGE

89258

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

CINÇPAC PACFLT ARPAC PACAF. 9TH FIELD STATION 2ND AIR DIVISION.

END OF MESSAGE

CONFADENTIAL

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

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