On 8 December 1941, the day after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s subsequent declaration of war, Soviet Ambassador to China Aleksandr Panyushkin was called to meet Chinese leader Chiang Kai-Shek and Minister of Foreign Affairs Guo Taiqi to receive a personal message to be conveyed to Soviet leader Josef Stalin. The message spells out China’s recommendation to bring the Soviet Union, Great Britain, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Netherlands, and China into a military alliance to defeat Japan and, by proxy, Nazi Germany and Italy.
The following is the translated declassified Top Secret enciphered telegram from Panyushkin, sent shortly after the meeting, and received by Stalin at 1730 Moscow time on 9 December.
CODED TELEGRAM TOP SECRET
From CHONGQING No. 16392
Received 1730 on 9 December 1941
Copy No. 13
16415 16407 Spec. No. 442, 443, 444. Priority.
MOSCOW – TO STALIN, MOLOTOV. KUYBYSHEV – TO VYSHINSKIY.
Today, 8 December, at 1530, Chiang Kai-shek, accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Guo Taiqi, hand-delivered to me the following statement, to be provided to comrade Stalin as his personal message:
1. In spite of the sincere efforts coming from the US in recent dialogue with Japan to peacefully resolve various issues regarding the Pacific Ocean, Japan unexpectedly launched an attack on the United States and Great Britain. This latest act of international banditry from Japan was even unexpected to us. The sheer fact that this Japanese attack was carried out at the very moment when Japanese representatives were continuing to conduct dialogues in Washington shows that their plan of aggression was planned.
2. At present, the Chinese government is in full readiness to cooperate, without regard for further sacrifices, in any joint military plan that the US, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Holland, or Soviet Russia can adopt against Japan and its Axis partners.
3. The Chinese government has made the decision to declare war against Japan, as well as its partners – Germany and Italy.
4. In order to achieve the fullest joint action possible, the Chinese government considers it imperative that each member of the anti-aggressor bloc considers any member of the Axis bloc a common enemy. Therefore, I propose a simultaneous declaration of war be made: the US against Germany and Italy, and Soviet Russia against Japan.
5. For an effective and successful war, the Chinese government regards the creation of a military alliance between Soviet Russia, the US, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Holland, and China as essential, with a unified command of forces under the leadership of the USA.
6. The Chinese government proposes the undertaking of an agreement between the US, Soviet Russia, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Holland, and China that they will not set their hand to any sort of separate peace. Before delivering this statement to me, Chiang Kai-shek declared: Japan’s insidious attack on the United States and Great Britain is now a fait accompli. And now the entire situation is clear, the forces of the anti-aggressor bloc will confront the aggressor in decisive battle. In order for the successful execution of the united operations of the countries of the anti-aggressor bloc, as represented by the US, USSR, England, China, and others, I offer this proposal, Chiang Kai-shek stated, that must be reported to comrade Stalin. Chiang Kai-shek stressed that this appeal is his own personal appeal to comrade Stalin, for which he expects a quick response. Chiang Kai-shek then stated that the quicker this proposal can be adopted by the countries being addressed, the better it will be for the common cause.
During this conversation, the American ambassador Gauss was present, who was also handed this message for Roosevelt. The British ambassador Clark Kerr was not present, as he had not yet arrived to Chongqing from Chengdu, where he had flown on 6 December.
I promised to bring this message immediately to your attention, while offering no assurances of a quick response. For the record, Chiang Kai-shek stressed that the contents of this message will be held in strict secrecy and can be published after the states to whom it is proposed agree to adopt it. From conversations with a number of officials, it was implied that for the Chinese, as well as Americans and Englishmen residing in Chongqing, that Japan’s performance was unexpected. Everyone believed that the victory near Rostov would have delayed the moment of Japan’s act even moreso.
8.XII.41 Panyushkin
Translating History 