... . -. -. ~ Approved ·Fot Release 2000/08/16 : NLJ-001-179-2-9-5 · ·. . -_ · 25X1A PAGE 2 OF 8 PAGES S El 0 R El 'f/N;-0" F~RB~8N _B!SBBM ­ • FORCED MOSCOW TO.· INCREASE ITS MILITARY PRESENCE ON THE FRONTIER AT CONSIDERABLE CO$T TO :THE SOVIET ECONOMY. THE CZECHOSLOVAK VIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS GENERALLY ACCORDS WITH THAT OF THE SOVIETS, BUT THE OFFICIAL AS WELL AS POPULAR EXPECTATION IS THAT THE USSR AND THE U.S. WILL EVENTUALLY GET TOGETHER TO MEET THE CHINESE THREAT. THE CZECHOSLOVAKS ARE POORLY INFORMED ·ON CHINA OWING TO RE:S"TRICTIONS ON THEIR REPRESENTATIVES IN PEKING, WHICH THEY ASCRIBE IN PART TO CHINESE ALERTNESS TO CZECHOSLOVAKIA'S INTELLIGENCE-ORIENTED PROGRAM IN CHINA. FUTURE CZECHOSLOVAK POLICY TOWARD CHINA WILL DEPEND UPON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA, AND PRAGUE MAY MOVE SLOWLY AWAY FROM ITS PRESENT STAND IF THE VIEWS OF THE NEW LEADERSHIP PREVAIL. END OF SUMMARY. 1. CZECHOSLOVAK OFFICIALS GENERALLY BELIEVED THE SINO-SOVIET DISPUTE CANNOT BE SOLVED IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. THEY FEEL CHINESE DEFENSE MINISTER LIN PIAO IS JUST AS ANTI-SOVIET AS IS MAQ TS~-TUNG. THE CZECHOSLOVAKS BELIEVE LIN IS ACTUALLY RUNNING CHINA WI~~·MAO SERVING AS A FIGUREHEAD. WARSAW PACT OFFICERS WHO KNEW LIN IN THE DAYS WHEN THE CHINESE COOPERATED WITH THE ALLIANCE COMPARE HIM TO HITLER AS A MAN WITH ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC DESIGNS. LIN'S FANATICISM WAS PRIMARILY DIRECTED rfGAINST THE USSR. THE CZECHOSLOVAKS BELIEVE, HOWEVER, THAT THE CURRENT 5 :CHINESE CONCERN !~ _. PRIMARILY WITH INTER~AL PROBLEMS AND NOT WITH THE 4 3 ~ISPUTE WITH TliE Ussa. 2 1 p 2000/08/16: NLJ-001 -2-9-5 IN Approved For Release 2000/08/16 : NLJ-001-17 25X1A PAGE 4 OF 8 PAGES 8 E-C-ft-E-Y;'Ne P0ft:EI6N :tlIBSBM • (Olud/!OAtecm) (clCUem ocmn-ollJ PROBLEM IS SERIOUS BECAUSE THIS COUNTRY IS BEING CONVERTED TO A MILITARY STATE, WITH EVEN THE RED GUARD'S MARCHING ACTIVITY CONSTITUTING TRAINING WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO PEKING'S OFFENSIVE CAPABILITY. 4. DURING A DEFENSE MINISTRY COLLEGIUM MEETIN~ .IN 1966, SOME MINOR SHOOTING INCIDENTS ON THE SINO-SOVIET F·R~NT~ER WERE DISCUSSED, AND LOMSKYSAID THE BORDE~ WAS THINLY DEFENDED BY THE USSR BUT THAT THESE SMALL FRAYS WOULD FORCE IT TO BUILD up. THE DEFENSES AS IF 1r WERE FACING AN ENEMY NATION. A MORE SERIOUS· EVEN-T INVOLVED A COMPANY­ . .: . SIZE CHINESE GROUP WHIC.H CROSSED INTO SOVIE'.I' TERRITORY IN 1966. 5~ IN A REPORT TO .THE DEFENSE MINISTRY COLLEGIUM AFTER HE HAD VISITED MOSCOW AT AN UNSPECIFIED TIME, LOMSKY SA:ID _THE CHINESE BORDER PROBLEM WAS NOT ONLY A MILITARY BURDEN FOR THE SOVIETS .BUT ALSO AN ECONOMIC ONE. THE USSR CLAIMS THE GOST INVOLVED IN ITS REACTION TO CHINA'S INCURSIONS CONSTITUTES AID TO IMPERIALISM BY PEKING. IN 1966 SOURCE ATTENDED A MEETING WITH GENERAL ALEKSEY A. YEPI.~llEV1. ~HIEF OF THE MAIN POLITICAL DIRECTORATE OF THE SOVIET ARMY AND NAVY, AND LIEUTENANT GENERAL VACLAV PRCHLIK, THE CHIEF OF THE MAIN POtITICAL DIRECTORATE OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK DEFENSE MINISTRY AND RECENTLY APPOINTED 2WITH ABETTING THE IMPERIALIST CAUSE BY IMPOSING ECONOMIC BURDENS ON THE: C~IEF OF THE_CZECHOSLOVAK COMMUNIST PARTY (KSC) CENTRAL COMMiTTEE'.S 54 DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS, WHEN YEPISHEV SIMILARLY CHARGED CHINA •I 3 : 1 • & I Q R E T/BQ P9RBI8N BIBSBM Approved Fo a 2000/08/16 : NLJ-001-1 2-9-6 IN Approved For Release 2000/08/16 : NLJ-001-1 25X1A PAGE 8 OF 8 PAGES --S-E-C-lt=E 'f/119 J'OUIQH DI &SEii . . ' ACROSS AN ANTI-CHINESE DECLARATION. SOURCE BELIEVES THE USSR WANTS THE LARGEST POSSIBLE COMMUNIST PARTY ATTENDANCE. ITS EFFORTS IN. THIS ·.J • ....• DIRECTION ARE REFLECTED IN ITS REFRAINING SINCE MID-1967 FROM CHARGING CHINA WITH FRACTIONAL ACTIVITY ABROAD, E.G., IN BELGIUM. THIS RESTRAINT SHOWS THE SOVIETS TO BE SEEKING THE GREATEST POSSIBLE ATTENDANCE. 12. CZECHOSLOVAK OFFICIALS DO NOT BELIEVE ANY SERIOUS CHINES.E­ ; ., . AMERICAN COLLABORATION IS UNDER WAY AT THE AMBASSADORIAL MEETINGS IN WARSAW. CZECHOSLOVAKIA'S PRESS COMMENT ON THESE DtSCUSSIONS HAS . -~ . :" . i ~ DESCRIBED THEM AS FORMALITIES WHICH. HAVE HAD NO IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCES. 13. THE FUTURE CZECHOSLOVAK. ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHINA PROBLEM WILL DEPEND ON THE POLITICAL· DEVELOPMENTS IN CZECHOSIDVAKIA. IN A SPEECH . IN FALL 1967, ALEXANDER DUBCEK, RECENTLY APPOINTED KBC FIRST SECRETARY WHO WAS THEN FIRST SECRETARY OF .THE SLOVAK COMMUNIST PARTY, SAID ... . . CZECHOSLOVAKIA MUST CONCENTRATE ON EUROPEAN AFFAIRS AND NOT CONCERN HERSELF WITH SITUATIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD. IF THIS VIEWPOINT PREVAILS, PRAGUE MAY MOVE SLOWLY AWAY FROM ITS PRESENT STAND ON CHINA. BUT CZECBOSI.DVAKIA'S ATTITUDE WILL DEPEND ON THE POLITICAL FORTUNES IN THIS COUNTRY AND SOVIET PRESSURES. 25X1A ISSEM: NONE. 5 5 4 4 3 8 2 2