The Sino-Indian Border Dispute Section 2: 1959-61 - The Black Vault

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message of 14 September to Peiping, Premier Ba Swe welcomed
Chou's promise to withdraw the troops and agreed to keep
Burmese troops out of the area. However, he insisted on the
validity of the Wa States boundary as demarcated by Nationalist
China and Britain in 1941 and on the validity of the
Kachin State border farther north as a de facto line, and
complained that Chinese troops had also?rm the border
at the northern tip of the state and should be withdrawn.
He then stated that Burma would accept the establishment
of a joint boundary commission--actually an earlier Burmese
proposal--which would examine the Kachin frontier and make
"recommendat ions to the respective governments. On the
suggestion of Hla Maung in Peiping, Chou En-lai--who was
anxious to undercut Burmese press attacks--in early Sepeember
invited U Nu to lead a delegation to China to discuss
the dispute. The Burmese stressed, however, that U Nu
would go only in an '*unofficialf1 capacity and would not
represent the government in discussions with Chou--i.e.
his statements would not prejudice Ba Swe's firm position.
The Burmese hoped for informal proposals leading to
an acceptable settlement and Chou fostered the impression
that China was prepared to make them. During talks with
the U Nu delegation in November 1956, Chou made a "proposal
about principles" relating to three sections of the border
still in dispute. (1) Regarding the "1941 line" in the Wa
States area, Chou indicated readiness to withdraw Chinese
troops and asked that "pending a final agreement on the
line and the setting up of boundary markers," Burmese troops
not enter the evacuated area. Chou and Ba Swe had in fact
agreed privately on this matter in September. (2) Regarding
the Namwan leased tract, Chou was prepared to negotiate so
as to decide on conCrete steps to abrogate the "perpetual
lease.1f (3) Regarding the northern border, the section
from the Isurazi Pass nrmthward to the Diphu Pass was to
be demarcated along the "traditional boundary line" and
from the Izurazi Pass to the High Conical Peak was to be
determined along the watershed. The Hpimaw tract of three
villages-Hpimaw, Kangf ang, and Gawlun--vas to be "returned"
to China, and Burmese troops in the area were to withdraw
at the same time that Chinese troops were retiring from the
"1941 line1' farther south. In sum, Chou indicated that
Peiping was prepared to withdraw in the Wa States and yield
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