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Draft Memorandum, “A Comprehensive Solution for Restoring Peace in Indochina,” Prepared by the Vietnam Group of the Chinese Delegation Attending the Geneva Conference
Date: April 4, 1954	Source: CFMA, Record No. 206-00055-04 (1); original Record No. 206-C0008. Obtained by CWIHP and translated for CWIHP by Chen Zhihong.
Description: The Vietnam group of the Chinese delegation offers a solution involving peaceful unification within Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, so that these nations can govern themselves as independent, sovereign states.

In order to end the war in Indochina, to restore the national independence and rights of freedom of the peoples in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and to establish lasting peace
in Indochina, a comprehensive solution on restoring peace in Indochina is presented here as follows:

(1)
The two sides involved in activities of hostility in Indochina have agreed to an armistice. In order to implement the armistice and to guarantee its stability for the purpose of further restoring peace in Indochina, the two sides agree that negotiations should be held immediately, and necessary and proper adjustment will be made to the current zones of military operations.

(2)
The United States, Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the People’s Republic of China will jointly guarantee:

(a) That from the day of the armistice, no combat plane, armored vehicle, weapons or ammunition, other military materials, or any armed force and military personnel should be allowed to enter Indochina.

(b) No measures should be taken to harm the implementation of the armistice in Indochina.

(3)
Within six months after the armistice, all foreign navy, ground force and air force, and military personnel should complete withdrawal from Indochina.

(4)
The government of the Democratic Republic of
Vietnam, the government of the State of Vietnam, the resistance government of Laos and the government of the Kingdom of Laos, the Committee for National Liberation of Cambodia and the government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, with the participation of democratic parties and organizations in the
three countries, should establish a provisional joint committee, which should be in charge of the preparatory work for achieving peaceful unification, national
independence, and democracy and freedom in the three countries in Indochina. The tasks of the provisional joint committee should be:

(a) To guarantee that the people in the three countries of Indochina [Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos] should be able to have the rights of democracy and freedom, including the right for all democratic parties to conduct activities freely in the whole territory of the three countries;

(b) To discuss and decide on plans for achieving disarmament in the whole of Indochina;

(c) To discuss and decide on plans for restoring transportation, trade, cultural relations in all of Indochina;

(d) To hold, respectively in each country, general elections in the whole of Indochina after the completion of the foreign troop withdrawal, and to establish a unified
government in each country.

(5)
The French government recognizes Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia as three sovereign states with full independence; the three countries enjoy full power of self-determination in politics, economics, military [affairs], diplomacy, and culture.

(6)
After the establishment of unified governments in the three countries in Indochina, they are entitled to carry out consultations and, in accordance with the
desire of the people in the three countries, to form a Federation of Indochina.

(7)
The unified governments in Vietnam, Laos, and
Cambodia should, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, sign agreements on economic, cultural, and technological cooperation with France for the purpose of developing the economic and cultural relations between the three countries in Indochina and France.

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