The Press TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1971. China in the United Nations

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32777, 30 November 1971, Page 14

The Press TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1971. China in the United Nations

Outside the United Nations, and recognised diplomatically by a mere handful of countries, Communist China had few opportunities of influencing the affairs of the world. China’s tactics in the United Nations, and particularly in the Security Council, are being watched with great interest for the first clear evidence of China’s aims and policies in international affairs. Before the leader of the new delegation to the United Nations, Mr Chiao Kuan-hua, made his debut in New York, the “Economist” predicted that he would begin “with “ a fiery denunciation of Great-Power privilege, “followed—perhaps within a few weeks—by some “open use of that same privilege” The debut was in accord with the “Economist’s” prediction; the occasion for the use of “ Great-Power privilege ” has not yet appeared.

China’s Prime Minister, Mr Chou En-lai, has said that China intends to become the champion of “ all “nations and small countries bullied and injured by “the super-Powers”; and this was the theme of Mr Chiao’s opening speech. China, he indicated, belonged to the Third World, and he made it plain that China hoped to assume the leadership of the group of States thus designated—the smaller African and Asian States. “We are opposed ”, said Mr Chiao, “ to the imperialist and colonialist theory “ that small nations are subordinate to big nations ”, The role of defender of the under-dog may not be an easy one to play convincingly. It would require some agreed reduction of the privileges of the super-Powers. Yet China, as an immediate result of entry, replaced expelled Taiwan as a member of the organisation’s most privileged group, the veto-wielding Security Council. Will Mr Chiao be permitted, as an act of policy, to surrender any of the rights or powers implicit in the holding of a Security Council seat? A few years ago it was common enough for Peking to talk about the need to reform many United Nations institutions. There has been no such talk in recent times. It remains to be seen whether Peking is now prepared to limit Great-Power privilege, notably within the Security Council

The Chinese will find, as the Russians and Americans have found, that the Third World countries can be an intransigent lot Too many local rivalries and conflicting interests divide them to enable them to be organised willingly into supporting particular policies. In the Security Council, China will have to deal with the two super-Powers whose dominance China says must be ended—Russia and the United States. China may find it expedient, and possibly attractive, to build up its own influence rather than the influence of the smaller countries.

An early test of Chinese intentions will be the choice of the new Secretary-General when U Thant’s term ends in the new year. Two names are being canvassed: Finland’s permanent representative, Mr Max Jakobson, and Lij Endalkachew Makonnen, a former Ethiopian delegate. The Security Council members must agree on a candidate before his name can be sent to the Assembly. The African group has not yet approved Mr Makonnen, and the Russians and French appear not to be keen on Mr Jakobson, in spite of his undoubted competence. If the Chinese want to show their independence they could get behind him, while demonstrating at the same time their desire for links with countries outside the Third World.