Taiwan’s prospects slim

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32707, 9 September 1971, Page 13

Taiwan’s prospects slim

(By

BRUCE KOHN.

N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent)

WASHINGTON. September 8. | Taiwan is unlikely to | remain a member of the United Nations after the moves to be made soon to seat China in the world organisation. Diplomatic soundings

I made after the United [States’ decision to support [the entry of Peking are believed to have disclosed that the prospects of Taiwan holding on to its membership are slim. And there are still doubts as to the extent to which Taiwan will fight to hold her place. Many diplomats believe that if, as expected, a vote supporting China’s membership .is passed, Taiwan will withdraw from the organisation. Pressure on N.Z. Washington is known to have exerted strong pressure on both New Zealand and Australia to have them cosponsor two resolutions which would advocate China’s entry, enable Taiwan to hold her seat, and ignore the issue of which of the two countries holds the China seat on the Security Council. So far, Wellington and Canberra have resisted this pressure, advocating that the resolutions should contain provision for Chjna to take over the veto-wielding Security Council seat. There are signs that the Washington Administration is coming to accept this viewpoint, but with only 13 days remaining until the opening of the General Assembly, the impression is rapidly taking hold that even if it does accept it-there will be insufficient time to

mount an effective campaign; to guarantee passage of its proposals. Diplomats are still waiting for the United States to present final drafts of its intended proposals for consideration by their Governments; and, in the absence of no firm indications of what the United States intends to do, they are taking with a grain of salt Administration protestations that it is striving with determination to ensure that Taiwan holds her place. Originally there was hope that New Zealand, Australia and Japan would find it acceptable to co-sponsor the resolutions the United States wanted to put forward. But it is becoming increasingly evident that unless the American proposals embrace the granting of the Security Council seat to China, Wellington and. Canberra will not be prepared to act as co-sponsors. ' * \ However, they may well vote for them, probably because they represent the only resolutions in any way resembling those which both would like to see accepted by the General Assembly. Diplomatic activity at the

United Nations remains intense over this issue. Washington will, it is clear, have to do much more than it has done so far; if it is to convince its friends, and unaligned nations, that it really wants to keep Taiwan in' the world organisation.