Imelda is in Rome and will leave for London at about 9:30 PM our time. She called me up at 4:30 PM from Rome and said she was feeling cold so Inday [Paciencia Disini] and she are both shopping for heavy coats.
Am missing her and the children very badly even if I have been busy.
Met Asst. Sec. of State Marshall Green at 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM, the first two hours with Mr. John Holbroke, US Consul Gen. Ashburn of Hongkong, Amb. [Henry] Byroade, Minister ______ as the Sec. of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Executive Secretary and the remaining 30 minutes a confidential and private conference between Sec. Marshall and me.
I attach the transcript of the tape recording of the first two hours.
I opened the World Softball Conference at the Rodriguez Athletic Stadium at 1:00 PM. I went by helicopter, delivered a short opening speech and threw the first ball. U.S. won against Hongkong 1 2-0 and Philippine won against Singapore 21-0.
In the conversation with Sec. Marshall Green, heated discussions occurred when after I opened the subject of the apparent conflict between the communique and the statements of Dr. [Henry] Kissinger I had said that we wanted to know what the true intentions were as we might be pushed into doing things against our liking if the posit1on of the US was to let time settle the Taiwan question and Sec. Romulo practically charged the US of reneging on her allies when he said that the resolution that the US had sought to push through in the UN [United Nations] was to the effect that there were two Chinas and now the communique talks of only one China and that
Official Gazette for March 4, 1972: WITH a limited schedule of callers, President Marcos started early going over state papers needing his immediate attention.
At about 9:00 a.m. the Chief Executive received Marshall Green, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Pacific and Asian affairs, and special envoy of President Richard M. Nixon.
“Mr. Green briefed the President on the recent visit of President Nixon to the People’s Republic of China.
They conferred for almost three hours.
Early in the afternoon, the President motored to the Rodriguez Sports Center in Marikina, Rizal where he formally opened the Third World Men’s Softball Championship.
Addressing the various delegation of athletes from countries participating, the President declared that “physical fitness will be quickly accepted as a major goal of a society or its government if it is understood in the context of human resources development.”
He said that training for physical fitness not only promotes bodily health, but also creates moral values that arise from the experience of strength, endurance, and the conquest of difficulties.
Speaking of efforts to promote local sports, the President said, “In the Philippines, we want to make up for the omissions of the past by accelerating our physical fitness programs. And may I say that this encounter beginning today of the great softball teams of many countries in our midst will help accelerate the awareness of this need among our countrymen.”
The US Consul General for Hongkong and Macau during this time is actually David L. Osborn.
Taiwan is an internal problem China—that the position of the Chinese on both sides of the channel is that there is only one China and the US “will not challenge this position.”
But Green reiterated the pledge that the U.S. would defend Taiwan from aggression; that they are not withdrawing from Asia; that they do not intend to dismantle the military bases in the Philippines.
In the private conference with Green, I emphasized the need to train and equip our men to take over the bases. I pointed to the example of Sangley which they abandoned, pulling out all the equipment and leaving us no way to taking over. He talked of the limitations of the budget and military aid.
I insisted that they could help with the military surplus in Vietnam and their bases. This would not need further congressional appropriations. He noted this specially when I told him a formal request will be made by Sec. [Juan Ponce] Enrile and Amb. [Benjamin] Romualdez.
He took notes of my answer to him on Gov. Romualdez’s visit to Peking.
I emphasized the impression that the Chinese leaders seemed to feel that they can wait on Taiwan as well as the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Philippines.
And that when they have amphibious attack capability, they might change their “housebroken” and moderate policies.
This could be anywhere from ten to twenty years.