ABSTRACT
In 1951 officials representing the United States (US) and the People's Republic of China met at Panmunjom, near the border between North and South Korea. In encounters with US representatives, Chinese officials regularly requested the withdrawal of the US military forces from various countries in the region and called for an end to the US trade embargo against the People's Republic of China, and US collective security agreements in Asia that were aimed at China. The Warsaw lines of ambassadorial communications may have served as a conduit to send signals or convey information about impending or evolving shifts in US China policy. The left faction of the Chinese Communist party stiffened, opposed closer ties with the US, and made an issue of Reagan's statements. By cutting arms sales while providing military technology to Taiwan, Washington was able to fulfill the requirements of both the Taiwan Relations Act and the August Communique.
