Church Explains Views On China

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30289, 15 November 1963, Page 14

Church Explains Views On China

(A’eu; Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, November 14. The Methodist Church felt it was risky to exclude any group of people from participation in the United Nations on moral grounds, the Rev. D. P. Ramsay, convener of the church’s standing committee on international affairs, said today.

He was referring to an appeal by the Chinese Ambassador. Dr. D. Y. Lew, that the church reconsider its recent resolution urging the Government to support the admission of Communist China to the United Nations. “The effect of our church’s stand, Dr. Lew claims, is that recognition of the Communist regime is asking that the Chinese people be sacrificed to Godless materialism/’ said Mr Ramsay.

“I think he has missed the point of our church's contention, for whatever we may like or dislike about political management of mainland China, here are 600 million disfranchised people. ' “To exclude such a portion of world population on the ground that we dislike their ideology is a denial of the aims and ideals of the United Natjpns.”

If United Nations membership required moral fitness what nation had clean hands and a pure heart? he asked. The Methodist Church’s view was that the United Nations was a world forum, where peoples, in outlook, might be at least close enough to understand and communicate with each other.

United Nations participation might moderate policies which were regarded as evil. Only by United Nations recognition of the de facto ■Government of China as well as of the Government in Taiwan would regularise international relations, open the way to a solution of the present deadlock and reduce ■international tension. The church’s views and resolution had been consistent since 1958. The recent annual conference’s resolution to urge the Government to support Communist China’s entry into the United Nations, while continuing its recognition of the Taiwan Government, had been passed without a dissentient vote.