Cold War International History Project
Virtual Archive 2.0

Korea, DPRK, Relations with China, PRC

Ciphered telegram, Soviet representative Aleksei Ignatieff in Pyongyang Ignatiev to Vyshinsky
April 10 1950 - Telegram from telegram, Soviet representative in Pyongyang, Aleksei Ignatieff Ignatiev to Vyshinsky concerning a report from the North Korean deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers. The deputy chairman reported about diplomatic overtures from Mao to the DPRK and North Korean partisan activities in the South.
 
Ciphered telegram, Filippov (Stalin) to Chinese Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai (via Soviet ambassador to the People’s Republic of China [PRC] N.V. Roshchin)
July 05 1950 - A telegram from Stalin to Zhou Enlai with regards to India's mediation in the PRC's entry into the UN, Chinese troop movements in preparation for a possible Southern/Allied counterattack, and Soviet planes flying over Manchuria.
 
Ciphered telegram, Filippov (Stalin) to Soviet Ambassador Roshchin in PRC transmitting message to Mao Zedong
July 08 1950 - Telegram from Stalin to Beijing advising that they send a representative to Korea.
 
Ciphered telegram, Filippov (Stalin) to Zhou Enlai or Mao Zedong (via Roshchin)
July 13 1950 - Telegram from Stalin to Mao and Zhou Enlai detailing his response to the English protest concerning "the Korean question." Also, a request for confirmation of Chinese troop movements to the Sino-Korea border, in case of a repulse of North Korean forces. Finally, a confirmation of the plans to train Chinese pilots on Soviet jets, to be followed by the transfer of the jets to Chinese possession.
 
Ciphered Telegram, DPRK leader Kim Il Sung and South Korean Communist leader Pak Hon- Yong to Stalin (via Shtykov)
September 29 1950 - Telegram from Kim Il Sung and Pak Hon-Yong telling Stalin of the losses they have incurred following American air and ground attacks in South Korea and of their general lack of supplies and trained personnel. They explain that should the Americans cross the 38th parallel, North Korea and Communist South Korea would require immediate and direct military assistance from the Soviet Union (or at least the benefits of Stalin’s influence over Chinese volunteer forces) in order to avoid complete American capture.
 
Ciphered Telegram, Shtykov to Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and Instantsia (Stalin)
September 30 1950 - Telegram from Shtykov to Gromyko and Stalin reporting the dire circumstances into which the North Koreans had fallen in the wake of the Inchon landings. Mentioned is a correspondence between the North Koreans and Mao which hinted at possible Chinese aid.
 
Draft Telegram, Chan Fu (Stalin) to Matveyev (Zakharov)
September 30 1950 - A message from Stalin to Matveyev approving Kim Il Sung's plans to reconsolidate KPA forces and pull out of South Korea.
 
Ciphered Telegram, Filippov (Stalin) to Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai
October 01 1950 - Telegram from Stalin to Mao and Zhou Enlai asking that they consider moving 5-6 divisions of Chinese volunteers to the China-DPRK border in order to give the North Koreans cover under which to reorganize their troops. Stalin explicitly states that he will not mention this idea to the North Koreans.
 
Ciphered telegram from Roshchin in Beijing to Filippov [Stalin], 3 October 1950, conveying 2 October 1950 message from Mao to Stalin
October 03 1950 - A two part telegram to Stalin from the Soviet Army General Staff. The first part is the text of a message sent to the Soviets by Mao in which he states that his forces and country are not currently ready to enter a potentially escalatory conflict with the U.S. The second part of the telegram is a Soviet analysis of the Chinese message which assesses that this is a change in the Chinese position which had previously been one of readiness to enter combat against the U.S. Proposed as a possible explanation is the advise of Nehru to Mao that they avoid conflict for the time being to avoid disaster.
 
Ciphered Telegram, Fyn Si (Stalin) to Kim Il Sung (via Shtykov)
October 13 1950 - A telegram from Stalin to Shtykov for Kim Il Sung relaying the decision of the Chinese to support North Korea with their troops. This decision is a marked reversal of the negative message sent 3 October by Mao. Shtykov is also told to suspend the plans for evacuation of Soviet personnel from North Korea.
 
Telegram from Stalin to Mao Zedong
December 01 1950 - Telegram from Stalin to Mao wishing the Chinese army success against the US army in the Korean War.
 
Ciphered telegram from Roshchin conveying message from Zhou Enlai to Soviet Government
December 07 1950 - A telegram from Roshchin in Beijing to Moscow, informing the Soviet leadershipof the terms under which the Chinese will consider an armistice on the Korean Peninsula.
 
Ciphered telegram, Mao Zedong to Filippov (Stalin) transmitting 4 January 1951 message from Peng Dehuai, Kim Son, and Pak Il U to Kim Il Sung
January 07 1951 - Message from Mao to Stalin informing him of the PLA's intent to push south of the Han River to capture key staging points such as Kimpo Airport and deny the enemy time to regroup.
 
Ciphered telegram, Roshchin to USSR Foreign Ministry
January 13 1951 - Message to Stalin from Roshchin informing him of the Chinese receipt of one of his earlier telegrams and informing him of an invitation to Beijing to Kim Il Sung and Peng Dehuai from Mao.
 
Telegram from Mao Zedong to I.V. Stalin, transmitting 14 January 1951 message from Mao to Peng Dehuai with message from Kim Il Sung
January 16 1951 - Mao asks Stalin on his opinion regarding the incorporation of Korean troops into the Chinese army, as well as the possible response of the enemy.
 
Ciphered telegram, Mao Zedong to Filippov (Stalin) conveying 19 January 1951 telegram from Peng Dehuai to Mao re meetings with Kim Il Sung
January 27 1951 - Telegram from Mao to Stalin relaying a report from Pen Dehuai on a meeting with Kim Il Sung. Topics discussed include a halt to advances to reorganize, defense of the coast, restaffing of units, consolidation of rule in recaptured areas.
 
Ciphered telegram, Mao Zedong to Filippov (Stalin) conveying 28 January 1951 telegram from Mao Zedong to Peng Dehuai
January 29 1951 - A forward to Stalin of a message sent earlier by Mao to Peng Dehuai. It outlines operational plans for the PLA and KPA in and around Seoul and talks about the need to gain an advantageous military position with negotiations in mind.
 
Telegram from Mao Zedong to Stalin
June 05 1951 - Mao asks Stalin to receive Gao Gang and Kim Il Sung in Moscow so that they may discuss military operations in Korea.
 
Ciphered telegram, Filippov (Stalin) to Mao Zedong
June 07 1951 - Telegram from Stalin telling Mao that he is ready to receive Gao Gang and Kim Il Sung.
 
Ciphered telegram, Filippov (Stalin) to Mao Zedong re meeting in Moscow with Gao Gang and Kim Il Sung
June 13 1951 - Telegram from Stalin to Mao summarizing his discussions with Kim Il Sung and Gao Gang on the issues of military advisors, air force training and assistance, and the implications of a potential armistice.
 
Ciphered telegram, Mao Zedong to Filippov (Stalin) transmitting 29 June 1951 telegram from Kim Il Sung to Mao
June 30 1951 - Telegram from Mao to Stalin relaying a query from Kim Il Sung on how to respond to a request for negotiations from Ridgway.
 
Ciphered telegram, Mao Zedong to Filippov (Stalin)
June 30 1951 - Telegram from Mao to Stalin confirming that the PLA will enact the reorganizations proposed by Stalin. Mao also talks about several considerations regarding the American proposal for armistice negotiations.
 
Ciphered telegram, Mao Zedong to Filippov (Stalin); note: no photocopy available—text copied by hand and therefore exact heading not presented
June 30 1951 - Telegram from Mao to Stalin advising on the manner in which he believes armistice negotiations should be carried out.
 
Ciphered telegram, Filippov (Stalin) to Razuvaev with message for Kim Il Sung
July 01 1951 - Message from Stalin that the Koreans must talk with the Chinese about armistice negotiations.
 
Ciphered telegram, Mao Zedong to Filippov (Stalin) conveying 30 June 1951 message from Kim Il Sung to Mao
July 03 1951 - Telegram from Mao to Stalin forwarding a telegram received from Kim Il Sung in which he names the North Korean delegates who will attend armistice talks and the conditions which they will present.
 
Telegram from Mao Zedong to Stalin
July 03 1951 - Mao Zedong writes Stalin on the Chinese position for cease fire in the Korean War which the Chinese side will propose at an upcoming meeting with the UN negotiators. Mao asks Stalin for his opinion on the Chinese position.
 
Telegram from Mao Zedong to Stalin, conveying 22 January 1952 telegram from Peng Dehuai to Mao and 4 February 1952 reply from Mao to Peng Dehuai
February 08 1952 - Mao conveys two telegrams to Stalin: one from Peng Dehuai to Mao (22 January 1952) and the other is Mao’s response (4 February 1952). The telegrams discuss North Korea’s need for aid from China.
 
Ciphered telegram, Kim Il Sung to Stalin via Razuvaev
July 16 1952 - Telgram from Kim Il Sung to Stalin stating the current situtation of the armistice talks and the pressure which is being exerted upon North Korea by uninhibited American air power. He makes a request for additional anti-aircraft support from the Soviet Union and China, which he believes will lead to a more advantageous bargaining position at the negotiating table.
 
Ciphered telegram, Mao Zedong to Filippov (Stalin) conveying 15 July 1952 telegram from Mao to Kim Il Sung and 16 July 1952 reply from Kim to Mao
July 18 1952 - A two-part telegram from Mao to Stalin forwarding to the latter, an exchange which occurred between him and Kim Il Sung. The first telegram expresses Mao's intent to meet North Korean requests to the extent possible and his belief that the communist parties must not give in to pressure through aerial bombardments from the Americans. The second telegram is Kim's reply to Mao's telegram which singals agreement with Mao and details the need to deploy additional anti-aircraft assets and go on the offensive, both in the air and on the ground, in order to put pressure on the US.
 
Minutes of Conversation between I.V. Stalin and Zhou Enlai
August 20 1952 - Conversation between Stalin and Zhou Enlai concerning the extension of the Port Arthur agreement, the construction of a Sino-Mongolian railroad to the Soviet Union, and the situation in Korea. On the issue of Korea, they discussed sending arms shipments to China and Chinese arms production; the possibility of a Chinese offensive in Korea; and the return of POWs. Stalin reaffirmed his commitment to assisting China in the war in Korea.
 
Minutes of Conversation between I.V. Stalin and Zhou Enlai
September 19 1952 - Conversation between Stalin and Zhou Enlai focusing on the Korean War. They discussed the exchange of POWs (and the Mexican proposal), peace negotiations, Chinese cooperation with India and Burma, and the creation of regional organizations. They also mentioned Germany (reunification), the situation/reforms in Xinjiang, Taiwan and Chiang Kaishek (Jiang Jieshi), and military aid.
 
Telegram from Kuznetsov and Fedorenko in Pyongyang
March 29 1953 - Kuznetsov and Fedorenko report back to Moscow their meeting with Kim Il Sung regarding North Korean preparations for negotiations with UN forces.
 
Ciphered telegram, Kuznetsov to Soviet Foreign Ministry re meeting with Mao Zedong
July 29 1953 - Telegram from Kuznetsov to MID regarding his meeting with Mao on 28 July 1953, during which Mao talked about the steps which had led to and now, had to be taken following the signing of the armistice.
 
Report, Embassy of Hungary in North Korea to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry
April 13 1955 - Report from Dr. László Keresztes, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the Hungarian embassy in the DPRK, which talks about a conversation he had with Soviet Counselor A.M. Petrov. Keresztes sharply criticizes the secrecy and force that is utilized by the North Korean government and talks especially about the unreasonable economic conditions which exist in the DPRK.
 
Memorandum of conversation with the charge d’ affaires of the Chinese embassy in the DPRK, Chao Ke Xian
October 26 1956 - Ambassador Ivanov meets with charge d’ affaires of the Chinese embassy in the DPRK, Chao Ke Xian, regarding Ivanov's meeting with Kim Il Sung. Kim Il Sung allegedly made promises about publishing the decrees of the August and September Plenums, which he has not done.
 
Memorandum of Conversation with the Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK, Qiao Xiao Guang
November 05 1956 - The PRC intervention of Mikoyan and Peng Dehuai regarding the September Plenum is discussed, along with the possibility of the critics of Kim Il Sung's leadership returning from the PRC.
 
Report, Embassy of Hungary in North Korea to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry
July 02 1960 - Report by Hungarian Ambassador Károly Práth on a conversation he held with Czechoslovak Ambassador Kohousek. Topics of discussion included the DPRK's 7 year plan, the difference in ideological views between the Chinese and Soviets, and Korea's relations with those two countries.
 
Memorandum of Conversation between Soviet Ambassador to North Korea Vasily Moskovsky and acting Soviet Military Attaché Ustinov
September 01 1962 - The Soviet Ambassador and the Military Attaché report on the activities surrounding the second detachment of Soviet military aircraft to DPRK. They both find it hard to explain the Korean requirement to keep the operation hidden from the Chinese.
 
Record of Conversation between Soviet Ambassador to North Korea Vasily Moskovsky and North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Song Ch’ol
January 03 1963 - A very detailed account of the conversations around the table at the New Year’s Ambassadors dinner, hosted by the North Korean Foreign Minister. The Soviet Ambassador, Vasily Moskovsky, expresses his frustration when the host sides with the Chinese charges d’affaires and proposes a toast calling for unity among the socialist countries, apparently alluding to the Sino-Soviet split. Moskovsky goes on to defend the CPSU’s interpretation of the Marxist-Leninist doctrine and the policy of peaceful co-existence with the capitalist world.
 
Memorandum of Conversation between Soviet Ambassador to North Korea Vasily Moskovsky and North Korean Foreign Ministry Official Pak Yong-guk
April 01 1963 - A comment made by Pak Yong-gug raises some suspicion that the North Koreans might be insincere in their official communication with the Soviets.
 
Conversation between Soviet Ambassador in North Korea Vasily Moskovsky and the German Ambassador
August 26 1963 - North Korea makes inquiries into acquiring German nuclear information.
 
Excerpts from the Report of the Soviet Embassy in Pyongyang, “Some New Aspects of Korean-Chinese Relations in the First Half of 1965
June 04 1965 - Explanation of the events that led the DPRK to begin moving away from a China oriented foreign policy.
 
Record of Conversation between Soviet Politburo member Nikolai Podgorny and Kim Chung-wong
January 20 1967 - A conversation between the representatives of the DPRK and the USSR regarding the cooperation between both coutries, China's cultural revolution, and the agression by the Americans. There is an emphasis on the strengthening friendship between the DPRK and USSR. Issues along Korea's demarcation line are also addressed.
 
Report, Embassy of Hungary in the Soviet Union to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry
November 12 1969 - The Hungarian Ambassador in the DPRK discusses with Soviet officials Soviet-DPRK relations and Korea's stance on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
 
Memorandum, Hungarian Foreign Ministry
February 16 1976 - Korean Officials meet with the Hungarian Foreign Ministry. The North Koreans believe Korea can not be reunited peacefully, and that the DPRK is prepared for a nuclear war.
 
From the Journal of [Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav M.] Molotov: Secret Memorandum of Conversation between Molotov and PRC Ambassador [to the Soviet Union] Zhang Wentian
August 10 2007 - Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov and PRC Ambassador to the USSR Zhang Wentian discuss their respective views on the situations in Korea and Vietnam in preparation for the upcoming Geneva Conference.
 

Cold War International History Project
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