Chinese Explosion Attacked

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30578, 22 October 1964, Page 22

Chinese Explosion Attacked

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 21. The Chinese Communists had deliberately flouted world opinion by exploding nuclear weapons, the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) said tonight.

Mr Holyoake said he had received a message from the Premier of Communist China, Mr Chou En-lai, attempting to justify the development of nuclear weapons by China. “No-one could be misled by the Peking Government’s strivings to appear restrained and responsible,” the Prime Minister said. “Protestation that Communist China was compelled to develop nuclear weapons because other nations have them, and that they will be used only for defence purposes. cannot hide the fact that the Chinese Communists have deliberately flouted world opinion and once more revealed their belligerent and aggressive nature to the free world.

“Peking’s position is a cynical assertion that Communist bombs are good and uphold peace while Western bobs are bad and threaten peace.”

The Prime Minister said the Chinese now had the audacity to propose a conference to discuss the question of “complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons.

“They are generously prepared to destroy any more bombs they may have In re-

sponse to the dismantling of the United States defence position throughout the world.” Mr Holyoake said that in his message the Chinese Premier had outlined this proposal in the barest terms and

expressed the hope that it would be given favourable consideration by the New Zealand Government. “The Chinese proposals amount to nuclear disarmament unaccompanied by other measures,” Mr Holyoake said.

“There is not a word about effective inspection and control. “The question of conventional weapons in conventional land forces is completely ignored, since it is clearly to Communist China’s advantage to urge nuclear disarmament to “safeguard world peace” and thereby widen the scope for local and limited wars fought with conventional weapons.

“Proposals of this sort cannot be taken seriously when they breach the recognised principle, basic to all disarmament negotiations, that the disarmament process should be so phased as to confer no significant military advantage on either side at any stage.” The Prime Minister expressed the hope that the Chinese Communist leader would see reason, join with the great; majority of the nations of the, world by signing the test-ban i treaty, and divert the huge) cost involved in developing: a nuclear capability to the • economic advancement of their country and people.