NORTH CHINESE PORTS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26025, 31 January 1950, Page 5

NORTH CHINESE PORTS

REPORTED RUSSIAN DEMANDS,

FULL CONTROL ALLEGEDLY SOUGHT

NEW YORK, January 29. “Russia has demanded full control of seven key ports in North China from the Chinese Communist Government,” writes C. L. Sulzberger in the “New York Times.”

‘ The ports are Chingwangtao, Haichow. Chefoo, Weihaiwei, and Tsingtao, in addition to Dairen and Port Arthur, which are already entirely supervised by the Russian authorities. If the Chinese Communists are forced to grant Russia rights over these ports, they will concede Russia absolute control over the Yellow Sea. This would mean that the South Korean Government would be completely outflanked on the west. “These concessions would also strategically seal off from the outside world the northern Chinese areas of Manchuria and Inner Mongolia. “Russia is demanding also: — “(1) A labour force of 500,000 Chinese citizens to be made available to Russia for a period yet undetermined. “(2) Increased shipments of foodstuffs, especially grain, from Manchuria, although disorganised, ravaged China faces an imminent threat of a disastrous famine. “(3) Far-reaching concessions by the Chinese Communist regime to 'minority’ groups in Sinkiang (inhabited largely by non-Chinese Moslems

closely akin to the peoples of Soviet Central Asia), Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, and Tibet. “However, Mr Mao Tse-tung, the Chinese Communist leader, who is at present in Moscow negotiating with the Russians, has countered with almost equally ambitious requests. Mr Mao wants a flat guarantee of financial aid totalling £1,000.000,000 and huge new shipments of military equipment, primarily aircraft. Bargaining is now going on for a bilateral treaty.”