RELATIONS WITH ASIA

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27752, 1 September 1955, Page 3

RELATIONS WITH ASIA

Convention Defines Views INCREASED COLOMBO PLAN AID URGED New Zealand and other countries committed to the Colombo Plan should be urged to increase their contributions and to accept a greater number of students for training, said a report from a group which discussed Southeast Asia, approved by the convention on international relations yesterThe term students refers to all those wishing to receive training available in New Zealand. The report recommended that the Department of Immigration be asked to advertise for persons who would be prepared to receive Asian students in their homes, to keep a list of such billets and direct students to them. AU New Zealand citizens should look upon the provision of hospitality and entertainment for South-east Asians in New Zealand as their own part inbmplementing the Colombo Plan, theveport said. New Zealand should vigorously support the extension on the widest possible scale of United Nations aid schemes for South-east Asian countries, including an increase of her financial contributions where necesIt was agreed that selection of instructors under schemes for assistance to other countries should be based on the acceptability to the peoples tc whom they will be sent and with whom they will have to live, as wel] as technical qualifications. Other recommendations approvec were: “That persons going to Southeast Asia on technical and other missions should receive an orientatior course to enable them the better tc adjust themselves to Asian condi--1 tions”: “that the greatest possible free--1 dom of movement for individuals anc 1 groups should be encouraged betweer • New Zealand and the countries o: South-east Asia, first within the Com' . monwealth of Nations, and later be' I yond it, and, to this end, the exist ing restrictions on the entry to Nev Zealand of visiting Commonwealti 1 Asians should be reviewed by the Gov J ernment and relaxed”; “that the Nev 1 Zealand Government be asked to sug [ gest to the British Government that i I reconsider its requirements of uncon > ditional surrender before negotiatini i the cessatio nof hostilities in Malaya” i and “that in advocating adherence t< - signed international agreements wi ' urge the New Zealand Government t( ; use its influence in pressing for im - piementation of armistice terms i! - Korea and Vietnam.”