Minister sees growing U.S.S.R. threat

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 22

Minister sees growing U.S.S.R. threat

PA New Plymouth The Minister of Justice, Mr McLay, has warned of a growing Soviet military threat in the Pacific region. In a speech strongly defending New Zealand’s major military alliance, the A.N.Z.U.S. treaty with Australia and the United States, Mr McLay said: “There is no doubt that Russia has dramatically extended its ability to project forces into the Pacific, both by a substantial build-up of its maritime presence and through the extended reach it has acquired from bases in Vietnam.” Mr McLay was addressing the New Plymouth North Rotary Clubs. He said the A.N.Z.U.S. treaty must be regarded as the ultimate safeguard of New Zealand security. “We should be concerned about Soviet naval (and other military) expansion in the region in which we have a primary interest. “If, in fact, the Russians are concerned to influence internal Japanese policy, we should be concerned about

that too. “We should be concerned about Russian attempts to drive a wedge between China and the United States, and at attempts to put pressure on South-East Asian nations such as Thailand and Indonesia. “Above all, we must be concerned about the obvious Soviet belief that an increase in military strength in our region might in turn lead to political influence in the same area, and about the understandable Soviet desire to obtain access to warm-water ports.” Insofar as this upset the balance of power in the Pacific region, New Zealand’s interests and the interests of world peace were best served by support for American endeavours to redress any imbalance. “The instrument of our support for those efforts is the A.N.Z.U.S. treaty,” Mr McLay said. “Curiously, the Government now finds itself as the only political party with the firm and unequivocal commitment to the maintenance of that treaty alliance.”