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26, Oct.

No. Wai(44) MEI/I-003937

Translation

MEMORANDUM

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China presents its compliments to the United States Embassy and, referring to the Embassy's Memorandum No. 20 dated March 30, 1955, has the honor to state that the Chinese Government agrees, as requested by the United States Government, to the stationing in Taipei of a United States Navy Medical Research Unit consisting of not more than twelve officers and men for the purpose of establishing a United States Navy Medical Research Center to conduct study and research on a long range basis in the field of diseases endemic and epidemic in the Far East.

In agreeing to the request referred to above, the Chinese Government wishes also to confirm the understanding that a formal agreement on the detailed arrangements, similar to those made by the United States Government with governments of other countries where similar medical research units of the United States Navy operate, will be negotiated and concluded between the two Governments as soon as possible and that, pending the conclusion of and without prejudice to such an agreement, the said Unit will be considered provisionally as a part of the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group and its personnel as components of the MAAG.

The Chinese Government has designated Dr. S. L. Chien, President of the National Taiwan University, as its representative to negotiate for the aforesaid formal agreement.

The Embassy is also requested to notify the Ministry as far in advance as possible the actual date of arrival in Taipei of the personnel of the Unit.

Post, pp. 178, 192.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Taipei, April 26, 1955

[SEAL]

The American Ambassador to the Chinese Acting Minister of Foreign

Affairs

AMERICAN EMBASSY,

No. 13

EXCELLENCY:

Taipei, October 14, 1955.

I have the honor to refer to the Embassy's Note No. 20 of March 30, 1955, and to the Ministry's Memorandum No. 003937 of April 26, 1955 in reply, on the subject of the establishment in Taipei of a United States Navy Medical Research Unit.

In order more specifically to provide for the functional operation of the research unit referred to above, the Government of the United States proposes that the following terms shall constitute the operating agreement for the United States Navy Medical Research Unit, hereinafter designated "NAMRU-2”:

1. The Government of the United States of America is negotiating a lease with the National Taiwan University, which is acting in this case on behalf and with the approval of the Government of the Republic of China, of the premises commonly known as the Nursing School in the National Taiwan University Hospital compound at Taipei, Taiwan. Upon execution of the lease the Government of the United States, through its Navy Department, will repair these premises and make suitable alterations and installations to provide adequate working facilities for NAMRU-2.

2. It is the intention of NAMRU-2 to devote a separate space in the premises to wards where patients can be observed and treated. Further, the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery will provide equipment and supplies to the extent of its considered ability, to enable such treatment, observation and the conduct of medical research work to be carried out.

3. The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery will provide personnel and be responsible for the administration of NAMRU-2 and will provide an adequate scientific staff to carry out its medical research mission. It is contemplated that the complement of NAMRU-2 at the end of the first year of operation will be approximately six scientists and six technicians. If necessary, this complement may be expanded upon mutual agreement of the two Governments.

4. The Government of the Republic of China will make necessary provisions for NAMRU-2 to draw upon the national and provincial government hospitals for clinical material available and suitable for conducting the proposed medical research.

5. The Government of the Republic of China will provide without cost to the Government of the United States a consultant

26, Oct.

physician and such qualified assistants as are needed, to facilitate the clinical operation of the wards in order to comply with the existing Chinese laws which require that medical treatment be conducted by physicians licensed by the Chinese Government; and will provide qualified assistants in the various departments such as bacteriology, biochemistry, etc.

6. NAMRU-2 will provide facilities and opportunities for a suitable number of properly qualified Chinese guest investigators to participate in the medical research projects of the unit. In this regard the Chinese research personnel shall be entitled to participate in conferences designed to determine research projects. The Government of the Republic of China may also provide when it so desires, and at no cost to the United States, qualified scientific personnel to serve as members of field medical research teams for both domestic and foreign research conducted under the supervision of NAMRU-2 (it being the responsibility of the Chinese Government to provide appropriate travel documentation for such personnel when required).

7. Facilities and opportunities may also be provided at the discretion of the commanding officer of NAMRU-2, and with the approval of the Chinese Government, for certain properly qualified non-Chinese investigators.

8. NAMRU-2 will provide, when requested by the designated agency of the Chinese Government, research material collected by the unit, such as cultures, pathological specimens, stained slides of tissues and similar results of research which the Government of the Republic of China may desire. Copies of reports published by NAMRU-2 will also be furnished to the Government of the Republic of China or its designated agency.

9. In its research and clinical work NAMRU-2 will follow accepted academic procedures; hence the training and experience of the guest investigator and the extent of the research program undertaken by him will determine the research responsibility of each guest investigator. The responsibility of the guest investigator and the degree of his participation in any particular problem will, of course, determine authorship seniority in published reports.

10. Any disputes not of a purely technical nature that may arise out of the operation of NAMRU-2 shall be settled by the two Governments through diplomatic channels.

In connection with the specific proposals stated above, it is the understanding of the Government of the United States that, although it is impossible to predict the exact scope of the work of NAMRU-2 or the annual expenditure for equipment, supplies

and personnel, the United States Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery has estimated that the level of financial support extended by the United States to NAMRU-2 will eventually be between US$200,000 and $300,000 per year. In connection with the building for which a lease is being negotiated between the two Governments, it is estimated that the space to be devoted to wards will be sufficient for the accommodation of 30 patients. However, in the absence of large scale epidemics, it is planned that much fewer than this number will be lodged in these wards; this will enable patients to be well separated thus facilitating treatment, nursing care, and maintenance of isolation techniques.

It is the understanding of the Government of the United States that, unless extended by mutual agreement or unless the NAMRU2 research project is abandoned by the United States or discontinued by mutual agreement, the present arrangements shall remain in effect for a period of 20 years from the date of this note.

It is the further understanding of the Government of the United States that, upon completion of the pending negotiation between that Government and the Government of the Republic of China for an agreement governing the status of United States armed forces in Taiwan and Penghu, NAMRU-2 and personnel assigned or attached to that unit shall be governed by the provisions of any agreements or arrangements reached as a result of such negotiations and shall no longer be considered a part of the Military Assistance Advisory Group as previously stipulated in the third paragraph of the Embassy's Note No. 20 of March 30, 1955. If the foregoing understandings meet with the approval of the Government of the Republic of China, I shall be pleased to consider this note and Your Excellency's note in reply as constituting an operating agreement between the two Governments for the United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 in Taipei. Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my most distinguished consideration.

His Excellency

SHEN CHANG-HUAN,

KARL L. RANKIN

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Government of the Republic of China.

26, Oct.

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