S.E.A.T.O. RIFT OVER CHINA

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29221, 3 June 1960, Page 11

S.E.A.T.O. RIFT OVER CHINA

U.S. Attacks N.Z. Call For Recognition Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 2. New Zealand s introduction of the question of admitting Communist .China to the United Nations had caused a minor split in the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation’s Ministerial conference, according to informed diplomatic sources today. Differences vrere reported to have cropped up between the United States ana New Zealand on the issue during yesterday’s discussion of the international outlook in the wake of the summit failure. Conference sources expected the debate to be renewed again today when the S.E.A.T.O. meeting enters its third day. The Foreign Ministers will hold a closed session, with only their top advisers present.

Informants reported that the New Zealand Prime Minister. Mr Nash, who is leading his country’s delegation, had suggested that agreement to Communist China's membership in the United Nations might help to ease the tense post-summit outlook

The United States Secretary of State, Mr Christian Herter. replied with a blistering attack on the Peking regime, in which he said that the United States had no intention of changing its policy of refusing to extend diplomatic recognition to Communist China. He described Communist China as an “outlaw” and said the United States would not agree to its admission to the United Nations.

The members of S.E.A.T.O. are Britain, the United States, France, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines.

Of the eight, only Britain and Pakistan have extended diplomatic recognition to Communist China, but the New Zealand Government has indicated its intention to do so at some future time.

Mr Nash said publicly on his arrival m Washington last weekend that New Zealand would recognise the Peking regime “when we think it is expedient.” The S.E.A.T.O. meetings are being held in private, but a full account of Mr Herter’s remarks was made available by an authoritative source.

In his address, the Secretary of State said there was a likelihood of further Communist probing actions, particularly in the Far EastUnited Press International reported that Mr Herter had contended that giving Communist China the prestige of United Nations membership would only strengthen Peking’s campaign to neutralise Japan and install Communist government in small nations around the borders of China.

The four-day meeting, the sixth since S.E.A.T.O. was set up is due to wind up on Friday when the final communique will be issued. The Pakistan Foreign Minister Mr Manzur Qadir, was reported by conference sources to have drawn attention to what he termed the urgent need of solving differences between States in the region so that they would b*> in a better position to face the common danger.

The sources said that Mr Qadir referred to the twopronged threat which nations in the area faced and recalled President Ayub Khan’s offer of joint defence to India. Mr Qadir also recalled that the underdeveloped countries were in need of the sort of development that could meet their requirements and aspirations in the shortest possible time. He praised the economic efforts of 5.E.A.T.0., but recommended that the terms of reference of the organisation's economic committee be reviewed. He emphasised the value of multilateral economic projects that would benefit all three Asian members. Mr Qadir said that multilateral projects were preferable to bilateral arrangements and would bring about the community ot interest which the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, had referred to.

“Too Limited” Thailand’s Foreign Minister, Mr Thanat Khoman, said that he thought S.E.A.T.O.’s economic and technical assistance projects were too limited. He claimed that they merely duplicated the type of aid projects being carried out by U.N.E.5.C.0., the World Health Organisation and other international agencies. Mr Khoman said he felt that unless S.E.A.T.O. changed its method of carrying out aid projects it might as well delete from the 1954 Manila Pact the article dealing with economic cooperation.