CHINA AND U.N. MEMBERSHIP

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27402, 15 July 1954, Page 6

CHINA AND U.N. MEMBERSHIP

CAUTIOUS APPROACH BY N.Z. OUTCOME OF GENEVA TALKS AWAITED (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 14. New: Zealand is not expected to take the initiative in sponsoring Communist China’s admission to the United Nations, nor will the Dominion recognise the Peking regime immediately. This was learned today from an authoritative source. New Zealand prefers to work through diplomatic channels, but is unlikely to take any early action even in this field unless a satisfactory settlement on Indo-China is reached at Geneva. Some political observers in Wellington believe, however, that Communist China may be allowed to join the United Nations by next year. The Minister of External Affairs (Mr T. C. Webb), whose views on Communist China were recently given wide publicity, said today that he found it hard now to deny the claim of the People’s Republic of China to be admitted to the United Nations. Mr Webb, who was presumably speaking on behalf of his Government, said that because of Communist China’s action in supporting aggression in Korea, spme might think it was still too early to say that she had “worked her passage back.” But if people were guided by logic rather than emotion, he thought they would come round to the view that, instead of giving Communist China the cold shoulder, and thereby tending to consolidate the Communist bloc, it would be better to give early consideration to her admission into the United Nations. Warning Against Haste This would necessarily be on the assumption that the reasonable attitude which Mr Chou En-lai had already adopted at Geneva continued throughout the Geneva negotiations, said Mr Webb. He warned, however, that there would be major difficulties in bringing Communist China into the United Nations, and it was something that should not be attempted in haste. Officials in Wellington say that, unlike the admission of countries such as Japan, Turkey, Italy, and Bulgaria, Communist China’s case is one to be decided outside the scope of the Security Council’s veto. With the Chinese Nationalists already represented, it is for the General Assembly to test the credentials of the Peking regime and establish whether, in fact, it is the de facto Government. For the Peking Government to win recognition in the General Assembly, it must have the support of two-thirds of the voting strength. At present the United States could possibly lead an opposition that would deny this required majority. Some officials in Wellington now suggest that the United States could facilitate the admission of Communist China, while maintaining a formal opposition to it, should the question go before the General Assembly rather than the Security Council. There is said to be little chance of this at least before the United States Senate

elections later this year. The New Zealand opinion, as expressed by Mr Webb, is not the majority view of the Commonwealth, although some New Zealand observers think Britain, Canada, and Australia may revise their views, were it not for the uncompromising stand of the United States. Disagreement with U.S. Mr Webb, in his recent speeches in the House of Representatives, has made it clear that, in his opinion, the United States attitude stems from an emotional anti-communism rather than from a realistic appraisal of the situation. Expressing disagreement with the ‘‘strong, hard and fast, rigid line” of the United States, Mr Webb said a logical approach would seem to indicate the wisdom of early consideration of the question. Though New Zealand has gained new support from other Commonwealth countries since disclosing its own attitude, it is felt in Wellington that Australia would find itself more in a position to back Communist China’s admission if, in doing so, it was acting in line with a declared policy of Britain and other countries within the Commonwealth. Though the Australian Minister of External Affairs (Mr R. G. Casey) said in New Zealand on July 7, after talks with Mr Webb, that the Australian view remained unchanged, attention is paid in Wellington to a report that the attitude of the Australian Government is governed largely by the fact that its Labour Opposition opposes Communist China’s admission to the United Nations. Mr Webb maintains that all countries should be represented in the United Nations, even at the cost of including what he calls ‘‘disturbing elements.” The view is held that, once Communist China is admitted, the chance of achieving this will improve