Nash States Policy On China, Formosa

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29224, 7 June 1960, Page 13

Nash States Policy On China, Formosa

(Rec. 8 p.m.) KUALA LUMPUR, June 5. While New Zealand believed that Communist China should be recognised, it would not agree that Formosa should be controlled from Peking, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr Nash, said today.

He said that New Zealand had no obligation regarding any clash in the Formosa Straits. The South-east Asia Treaty Organisation. to which New Zealand belonged, did not extend as far as Formosa.

Speaking about 5.E.A.T.0., he said: “If countries in the area were attacked we would use our constitution procedures to see what aid we could give”

Referring to racial problems in South Africa. Mr Nash said: “I certainly think the apartheid policy is wrong. Ido not think in any country anywhere, anyone is inherently superior.” He said the Commonwealth Premiers at the recent London conference “did well to leave the conference with a unanimous communique.” Asked whether New Zealand supported any economic boycott on South African goods, Mr Nash said: “This is not the type of action which would help anyway . . The question is too big. It is the biggest question that has faced us in a long time.” The “Glasgow Herald.” commenting on the fact that Mr Nash had questioned the wisdom of continuing to exclude Communist China from the United Nations when he attended the Washington SE ATO discussions, says that plainly Mr Nash cannot have expected much change out of the American Secretary of State, Mr Herter, since the latter has now attributed a good deal of the Paris failure specifically to Peking’s rooted objection to any detente between communism and the West.

There is no indication that acquiring a seat in the United Nations would alter Communist China’s threatening attitude to her neighbours or to her traditional distrust of foreign devils, the paper says. At best it would represent a certain “face” value to her—and therefore a bargaining counter to the West.

In any case, it adds, the question was for the time being quite academic. There was no possibility in an election year of a major change of American policy that recognition of Peking and its right to a United Nations seat would entail. Nor was the admission of Communist China to the United Nations the simple operation ‘hat some of those seemed to imagine who commended it as a way of easing international relations. Formosa can no longer be held de facto to represent the whole of China any more than South Korea represents all Korea, the paper said. But Marsha] Chiane Kai-shek and the 9.500 000 inhabitants of the island are not a negligible quantity. Marshal Chiang has never weakened in his allegiance to the West and the West in return could hardly abandon his regime to the tender mercies of Peking simply in the caime of easing tension. Formosa moreover has still an important role to play in focusing the loyalties of millions of expatriate non - Communist Chinese, it adds Even if Washington. with a new President safely installed, decided to take another look at the problem, its diplomatic complications remain very great