EXECUTIONS IN NEW CHINA

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27642, 26 April 1955, Page 13

EXECUTIONS IN NEW CHINA

(Rec. 11 pjn.) LONDON, April 25. Forty-one men in Communist China have been executed and 150 others sentenced to varying prison terms for activity, Tass, «£? official Soviet news agency, reported today. The sentences followed the uncovering of an organisation ‘‘led by Chiang Kai-shek gangsters” in the Shensi and Kansu provinces of North China, the agency said. A total of 219 men were tried.

Mr Chou made his offer to negotiate m a press statement. He issued the statement after a lunch-time meeting with the heads of the Asian-African conference delegations from Ceylon, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Burma, the Philippines, and Siam. “The Chinese people are friendly to the American people,” Mr Chou’s statement said. ‘‘The Chinese people tt° -J 10 ? _ wan * to have war with the United States of America.

‘The Chinese Government is willing down and enter into negotiations with the United States Government to discuss the question of relaxing tension m the Far East, and especially the question of relaxing tension in the Formosa area.”

Mr Chou’s offer met with the instant approval at the Asian-African conference. Delegates of most of the Powers at Bandung, including India, Burma, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Ceylon, reacted favourably. The Burmese Prime Minister (Mr U Nu) described Mr Chou’s statement as “a great step towards easing world tension.” He added: “And that is the opinion of the four other Colombo Powers.” Ceylon’s Prime Minister (Sir John Kotelawela) called it a “very good statement.” The Indonesian Prime Minister (Dr. Ali Sastroamijojo) said Mr Chou’s statement “gives us hope for the future and for lessening tension in the world.”

Mr Chou stiffened his conditions for talks with the United States in a speech at the closing session of the Asian-African conference at Bandung today. He had just called for talks aimed at a permanent peace in IndoChina and urged that the opposing sides of Korea should seek a speedy solution of the problems of that country. when he referred again to his offer to negotiate. “China and the United States should sit down and enter into negotiations and settle the questions of relaxing tension in the Far East, especially Formosa,” he said. “This does not affect in the slightest degree the sovereign rights of the Chinese people to liberate Formosa.” Mr Chou gave no indication of whether Communist China was considering the release of the imprisoned American airmen. Rumours had spread at the conference that Mr Chou might make some statement on the subject, but he told reporters before the final session that he had nothing to say.