Kennedy Sees Chinese Threat

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30200, 3 August 1963, Page 11

Kennedy Sees Chinese Threat

(N.Z.P. A. -Heater—Copyright;

WASHINGTON, August 2. China by the 1970’s might pose the greatest threat to peace the world had known since the end of the last war, President Kennedy said at his press conference yesterday. China’s present position in international politics was menacing.

If the Peking Government maintained its present attitude and if it also became a nuclear Power, then there would exist “a potentially more dangerous situation than any we have faced” since the end of World War 11. Mr Kennedy said. The Russians, he observed, pursued their ends with “some caution.” One of the reasons why the United States had moved now to conclude a limited test ban was because “we don't want to find the world in even greater danger in the 1970’s for the reasons I have expressed.” The President also said rat the new nuclear test ban offered “some hope for a more peaceful world” and predicted the United States Senate would ratify it The President said it would be a great mistake if the treaty was not ratified. It protected United States security and gave some hope —although that hope might not be realised -that everyone was moving towards a more peaceful world, he said ''Summit Not Useful” He said he did not think an East-West summit meeting would serve a useful purpose at present Mr Kennedy made the remark when told •hat the Briti h representative at the Moscow test-ban talks. Lord Hailsham, had said Mr Khrushchev fav>ured a summit meeting next autumn

United States recognition of he Ulbricht Government. He disclosed that issue had been discussed at the Moscow talks and that the United States and British Governments had made their position clear The Russians, in turn, had said here was one Government they did not wish to recognise which might adhere to the accord

The President said the United States and die Soviet Union had been able to use skilled negotiators in reaching agreement on the test-ban treaty and the new “hot line” communications system between Washington and Moscow.

The President made it clear that adherence by East Germany to the test-ban treaty would not in any way imply