From the South China Morning Post this week in: 1958
On September 7 the South China Sunday Post-Herald gave over almost its entire front page to a topic that has changed little in the years since ...
The Chinese Premier, Mr Chou En-lai, restated Peking's claim to Formosa but indicated his Government is still willing to negotiate a Far East settlement. In a statement read over Peking radio in Chinese, he accused the United States of armed intervention in that area and said that would not be tolerated.
However, Mr Chou said the Chinese Government was prepared to resume ambassadorial talks with the United States, which were broken off since 1955. Mr Chou did not elaborate on the offer or suggest a site for the talks but said the Chinese Government was motivated by a desire to try to safeguard peace. This was the most moderate section of the speech, contrasting strongly with the unequivocal language used about China's right to 'liberate' Formosa, the Pescadores and the offshore islands of Quemoy and Matsu when the time was considered opportune.
Mr Chou said the Chinese people had an inviolable right to exercise their sovereignty over Taiwan and the Pescadores islands.
He sad the two islands had long since been Chinese territory, and charged the Unites States Government with armed intervention in the area.