N.Z. reassures Peking about Soviet trade

Press, 27 October 1977, Page 1

N.Z. reassures Peking about Soviet trade

By BRUCE KOHN, NZPA staff correspondent Peking Absolute assurances that New Zealand’s increasing trade relationship with the Soviet L nion did not mean any change in its policies toward China were given in Peking yesterday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboysj.

The Minister reached Peking bitterly disappointed about Japanese failure to respond to New Zealand’s wishes for better access to Japan’s beef and dairy markets. Japan’s Prime Minister (Mr Takeo Fukuda) refused in a last-minute meeting with Mr Taiboys to agree to special treatment for New Zealand. Mr Taiboys said Mr Fukuda had promised to help in studies aimed at finding a solution to the trade problems between the two countries. But experienced senior diplomatic analysts in Tokyo said that Mr Fukuda’s influence over Cabinet colleagues had so far been shown to be small.

Mr Taiboys said that the “ball game” would go on. He said he hoped that more satisfactory responses to New Zealand’s requests would be made. In Peking, during a twohour discussion with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Huang Hua), Mr Taiboys said that the higher level of Russian trade “in no way” changed New Zealand’s attitudes and policies toward China.

Mr Taiboys said after the meeting that he had told Mr Huang of the way in which SovietNew Zealand trade had developed and its significance to New Zealand in the present economic climate. The two Ministers launched straight into substantive discussions with few “diplomatic niceties” beforehand, officials said. Mr Taiboys described the talks as valuable and straightforward — “there was no need for mutual niceties.” The Chinese Minister apparently sought from Mr Taiboys an outline of his present Asian tour. “I gave him an idea of what I had been doing,” Mr Taiboys said. Mr Huang also wanted to know Mr Talboys’s views on whether countries with a surplus in their overseas trading accounts were doing sufficient to restore equilibrium in world trade. In response, Mr Taiboys indicated concern at protectionist trading trends internationally. The two Ministers also discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Mr

Taiboys outlined his view that countries having influence with North and South Korea should exercise that influence to seek a dialogue between the two. Mr Taiboys said Mr Huang had not commented on this. Mr Taiboys said Mr Huang had not raised the question of New Zealand sporting contacts with Taiwan, which has in the past been a source of irritation in the bi-lateral relationship. Japan-New Zealand business conference report, Page 3.