China’s U.N. sponsors make formal move

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32661, 17 July 1971, Page 17

China’s U.N. sponsors make formal move

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, July 16. Seventeen nations today formally proposed the admission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations, and the expulsion of Taiwan, at the forthcoming session of the General Assembly.

Their resolution was part of a document submitting the yearly item on Chinese representation for the Assembly agenda. Th e General Assembly begins its twenty-sixth session on September 21.

Except for the omission of Pakistan, the list of sponsors was the same as last year, when, for the first time, they obtained a simple majority for the resolution to admit China; but the Assembly had already decided that a twothirds majority was necessary for any change in representation.

Today’s draft included a call for. the seating of China as a permanent member of the Security Council, with the right of veto.

Though this was implicit in previous draft resolutions, it had not been spelled out before.

Only five of the 15 members have the veto. The sponsors of the resolution are: Albania, Algeria, Cuba, Guinea, Iraq, Mali, Mauritania, Southern Yemen, Congo (Brazzaville), Tanzania, Rumania, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Jugoslavia and, Zambia. The yearly bid to seat

China in the United Nations has never been made so far in advance of the opening of the Assembly, and informed sources say that it reflects the desire of Peking to make it plain that it is not open to deals—that it wants all its rights restored in the United Nations, including the Security Council seat, and that Taiwan must go as the essential pre-condition for entry.

Member-States anxious to save a place in the United Nations for Taiwan have been consulting one another on their strategy, but the informed sources say that it has not yet been decided to revive the proposal that a change of representation must have a two-thirds majority approval. The United States is reported still to be reviewing its policy towards China, but many delegations look to Japan to take a leading rble in any efforts towards the compromise that might be made during the Assembly. Observers say that there is a growing feeling within the United Nations that the organisation needs China, and that its entry is inevitable and should be brought about this year. The Secretary-General (U Thant) this week repeated

his belief that this will not happen before 1972. According to the Australian Leader of the Labour Opposition (Mr Gough Whitlam), who has been leading a party mission to China, the Chinese Prime Minister (Mr £hou En-lai) does not appear optimistic about the chances of China’s gaining admission this year. “Mr Chou is, however, confident that Peking’s membership of the United Nations is inevitable, and will be accomplished with the ousting o' the Chinese Nationalists,” Mr Whitlam said in Tokyo today.

“Almost everyone I met in China dismissed the possibility of a solution that would seat both China and the Nationalists, even if the latter were admitted under the name of Taiwan or Formosa.”

On the chances of diplomatic relations being established between Australia and China, Mr Whitlam said it

was quite obvious that there could be diplomatic ties, quickly and easily, on the so-called “Canada formula"; Canada recognised China "taking note of Peking’s claim over Taiwan?’ It was clear, Mr Whitlam added, .that the absence of diplomatic relations must affect the trade relations between the two nations.