Risk of war rising—Hua

Press, 24 August 1977, Page 8

Risk of war rising—Hua

NZPA ■ Reuter Peking The Chinese leader, Chairman Hua Kuo-feng, has delivered a major address warning that a growing appeasement movement in the Western World has increased the risk of global war. .

The warning came in a political report to this month’s eleventh Communist Party congress, published today by the New China News Agency. The 20,000-word report, which took four hours to read, covered the domestic and international Situation and set down the goals for post-Mao China, The report, unanimously adopted by the 1510 congress delegates, contains scathing criticism of the Soviet Union, Peking’s bitter ideological foe, and ridicules detente and disarmament. The more the United States and Soviet Union clamour about disarmament, the more they arm themselves, he said.

The 56-year-old successor of Mao Tse-tung spoke of

I the “trend towards appease- ' ment among those in the [West who cherish the illu[sion peace can be maintained through compromises and concessions.”Chairman Hua said those who wanted to “follow in Chamberlain’s footsteps” were hastening the advent of war. Moscow wanted to pocket Europe, Asia and Africa, he added, quoting Soviet action in Zaire, Angola and Sudan as proof of the Kremlin’s ambitions.

“The Soviet leading clique has not shown one iota of good faith about improving State relations (with China) . . » it has also whipped up one anti-China wave after another.”

If Moscow really wanted to improve bilateral relations it should prove it by concrete deeds, the chairman said.

Acknowledging that China’s standard of living was low, he said it was vital to push economic development and concluded with a call to build the world’s I most populous nation into lone of its most advanced.