India defines attitude

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32848, 23 February 1972, Page 17

India defines attitude

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW DELHI, Feb, 22

The Indian Prime Minister (Mrs Indira Gandhi) said yesterday that India would not accept any decision that might be taken on the fate of Asia at the talks between President Nixon and Chinese leaders.

Even as the United States President began his visit to Peking she told a massive public meeting that “if the meeting between the American and Chinese leaders is meant to forge friendship, it is welcome.

“But apprehensions are being expressed that the talks are meant to forge some sort of a new power group. If it is so, India, though a small nation, will not be bound by any such decision which

seeks to dictate terms to Asian countries.” At the same time Mrs Gandhi ridiculed what she called a view that the NixonChou meeting was a threat to India. She said that India had welcomed the talks. “Despite the indifferent attitude of China towards us in the past, India always worked for its admission to the United Nations.” „ She also referred to North Vietnam and said that the spirit and courage with which the Vietnamese had withstood onslaughts from a powerful nation had entitled them to praise and admiration. Elsewhere President Nixon’s arrival in Peking was ignored by North Vietnam, assailed by Taiwan, given scant press and radio coverage in Moscow, and watched closely by the Japanese, who seemed to regret that a Japanese leader had not got there first, the Associated Press reported.

The Japanese Prime Minister (Mr Eisaku Sato), stayed in his official residence to watch a live telecast of the Nixon-Chou meeting at Peking Airport, and remarked “it must be an historic occasion, since he (Nixon) himself says so” ... Taiwan’s National Assembly passed a resolution assailing Mr Nixon’s trip to Peking, which it said has “deeply damaged the Chinese national rights and interests.” The Soviet Union’s official news agency, Tass, reported in a three-sentence dispatch the meeting between Mr Nixon and the Chinese leaders. Earlier, the agency reflected official displeasure at the trip by carrying a Paris commentary from the French Communist newspaper, “L’Humanite”, also summarised by Moscow Radio, which said that Mr Nixon had gone to China “to take advantage of the break of the Chinese leaders with the international

Communist movement and to profit from their anti-Soviet-ism.”

Mr Sato’s efforts to get closer to Peking have been repeatedly rebuffed.

Japanese newspapers gave the historic journey frontpage splash treatment. Quotes from the Japanese man-in-the-street were generally along the lines, “It is regrettable that Japan did not undertake a dialogue with China ahead of Nixon.” But radio commentators of both Leftist and Right-wing Arab States agreed that the trip would produce no significant effect on the ArabIsraeli Middle East conflict. Expressing concern about “provocative anti-Sovietism adopted by Peking,” the Bulgarian news agency noted that Mr Nixon was given a welcome “with honours” in Peking “in spite of the fact that bombs are showering with an unusual fierceness over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia on his orders.”