Sunday, 28 May

Fine, windy

Yin Chengzi cabled me, reporting that Panyushkin has left Alma-ata and flown to Moscow. On the pretext of illness when he passed through Xinjiang he remained in Ili for three days, summoning Soviet consuls in Xinjiang for a conference. Today the Reuters’ representatives came and talked to me. Their representatives in India sent the news to them that Madame Chiang has come to Moscow and asked Stalin to mediate in matters between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. They asked if it was true or not. After talking to Counsellor Liu, we issued a denial saying this was groundless and that I had never heard of it.