INVITATION BY CHINA

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 28008, 30 June 1956, Page 9

INVITATION BY CHINA

“Liberation Of Formosa” PEKING. June 28. Mr Chou En-lai. the Chinese Communist Prime Minster, today offered to negotiate with the Chinese Nationalist Government for the peaceful liberation of Formosa and invited the Nationalists to send a delegation to Peking. _ . This was the first open offer by the Communists to negotiate with the Nationalist Government, which was driven out of mainland China in the civil war. Mr Chou said last year that the Communists were willing to negotiate with the local authorities on Formosa. Today, he offered to discuss with the Nationalists steps and conditions for the peaceful liberation oi their island base. “The Chinese Government has repeatedly pointed out that there are two possible ways for Chinese people to liberate Formosa—that is, by war or by peaceful means—and that tne Chinese people would seek to liberate Formosa by peaceful means so lar as possible.*’ said Mr Chou. The Prime Minister said tnai at present the possibility of peaceful liberation was increasing. •The situation is very clear. be said. “The dying gasp of the Formosa authorities, following the United States, definitely cannot last tor long. The foreign forces which they follow, are by no means dependable f °Mr S Chou appealed to the spirit of patriotism of the Nationalists and promised any who came over to the Communist side that ,hcre '> •no punishment for past m'sdeeda. Mr Chou said that the United States was like an o ? l n bb in ’l' d t '”*f ace head in the sand, not daring to face the fact that the People s Republic of China existed.