Acceptance of Taiwan teams ‘impossible’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33857, 31 May 1975, Page 13

Acceptance of Taiwan teams ‘impossible’

WELLINGTON. ■. A National Government would have to ban Taiwanese sports teams from New Zealand if they claimed to. represent China, in spite of what the Opposition was saying now, the Minister of Recreation and Sport (Mr Walding) said. Similarly, in spite of its! claims that it would not interfere in sport, a National Government would have to oppose sporting contact with South Africa. New Zealand could not af-l ford to “fly in the face of I international opinion,” Mr i Walding said. He made his comments when presenting 1975 young adult awards for Porirua city.

It was true that countries other than South Africa practised discrimination. But none — apart from South Africa — made discrimination on the basis of the colour of a mnan’s skin the central plank of its national life, he said.

South Africa used sport to bolster its apartheid system. To maintain sporting contact

with South Africa would do. nothing to break down that! system. International feeling about! racial discrimination was strong. If New Zealand did. anything to support South’ Africa s policies — and maintaining sporting contact! with South Africa was seen py other nations as supporting its apartheid policy — the country would soon become isolated and shunned, Mr Walding said. International sporting organisations and the United Nations were opposed to sporting contact with South Africa. “It is not just a matter of a game of sport — our reputation is at stake. “Our whole international policy is based on equality and fair dealing. It would come tumbling down if we made exceptions in the case of South Africa,” he said. On sporting contact with Taiwan, Mr Walding said that New Zealand had joined the great body of world opinion, including the United Nations, in deciding that it was no longer realistic .to pretend that there were two Both Taiwan and China agreed on that — but both claimed to represent China. “If we officially recognise Taiwan, we cannot officially.recognise China. If we

are to deal witn Peking, we must break off official contact with Taiwan,” said Mr Walding. "It is impossible to recognise both — there is really, no choice, whether we like it or not,” he added.