NO DECLARATION BY CHINA

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25248, 29 July 1947, Page 7

NO DECLARATION BY CHINA

VIEW OF INDONESIAN STRUGGLE INTERESTS OF NATIONALS IN EAST* INDIES (Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 27. “The main explanation why China has made no forthright declaration of principle on the Indonesian conflict seems to lie in the presence in Indonesia of about 3,'.)00,000 so-called overseas Chinese, living in both Dutchcontrolled and Republican-controlled areas,” says the Shanghai correspondent of the New York “Herald-Tri-bune.” “These Chinese generally belong to the special and somewhat privileged merchant class, and although emigrants they are regarded by the Chinese Government as Chinese citizens. They have voting powers at home and many of them are influential members of China’s ruling Kuomintang, to which they have contributed much money. “The Chinese Government largely looks on them as it would on a strong domestic pressure group. The need to protect the interests of such overseas Chinese has inhibited the Chinese Government regarding the anti-im-perial struggles now going on in South-East Asia.

“Chinese policy in Indonesia and French Indo-China since VJ-Day has been to keep on the best possible terms with both the colonial Powers and the rebelling natives, and to work first of all for the safety of Chinese nationals and their property. “Chinese opinion in some instances has discreetly sided with the Europeans against the Indonesians or other natives. This apparently is because the overseas Chinese have, as a comparatively rich merchant class, a vested interest in the status quo. Upheavals, no matter how worthy in principle, are bound to hurt them

It can be seen why the Indonesian Republican movement has not had the blanket endorsement of China, even though getting the European Powers out of Asia is one of the .Chinese Government’s stated principles. The Government’s actual course at present is to offer mediation and try to keep-the fighting to a minimum.”