BRITAIN & U.S. MAY RECOGNISE CHINA’S RED REGIME

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22951, 20 May 1949, Page 5

BRITAIN & U.S. MAY RECOGNISE CHINA’S RED REGIME

NEW YORK, May 18. The American and British Governments have agreed to co-ordinate their policies towards the eventual recognition of a Chinese Communist regime, says the New York Times in a despatch from London. There is no intention at present to withdraw recognition of the Nationalist Government but the feeling is that the end of the Nationalist Government is only a matter of time. Both the United States and British Governments will now seek to enlist in their mutual planning other North Atlantic Pact Powers with interests in the Far East, notably France and the Netherlands as well as certain free anti-Com-munist Asian nations. The United States would like to see the Philippines enter this plan. Britain is known to be most reluctant to move into Asian affairs without the close cooperation of India. Informed circles say the present plan is not in any sense a Pacific pact since the United States cannot and will not at this time undertake the military protection of South-East Asia.

Pacific experts in London feel that the best way to contain communism and ensure peace in the Pacific is to regularise relations between Chinese Communists and the outside world as quickly as possible. The British Government has long sought to make a working agreement with the Chinese Communists and has repeatedly been rebuffed—-added reason ■why it is now co-operating with the United States in forming a common Pacific diplomatic front. The basis of the United States policy in the Far East is said to be the enrolment of the free, anti-Communist Asian States in common association with the United States and the European Powers in halting communism. It is no secret that the United States wants to see Japan eventually brought into such a programme. This is one reason, among many, why Washington recently announced the end of the reparations programme. MR. ACHESON DENES AGREEMENT WASHINGTON. May IS. The Secretary of State, Mr. Dean Acheson-, today denied knowledge _ of any agreement between the United States and Britain on co-ordination of their policies toward the eventual recognition of the Chinese Communist regime. MISSIONARIES TQ REMAIN IN THREATENED ZONE :<P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 20. In spite of the British Consul’s advice to non-essential personnel to leave the Kwangtung and Canton areas as. soon as possible the staff of the New Zealand Presbyterian Mission in South China has decided to stay on in the meantime. Word to this effect was received yesterday from the president of the field council, the Rev. E. G. Jansen, by the secretary of overseas missions for the Presbvterian Church of New Zealand. Writing on May 9, Mr. Jansen pointed out that the situation differed from that caused by the Japanese invasion in 1942 when the staff were offered repatriation and refused. ' Then their duty seemed plain, but today the issues were confused.

Mr. Jansen said it was not clear to them whether, in the event of Communist occupation, the missionaries would be able to serve a useful purpose by remaining, or whether they would be a cause of embarrassment to their Chinese colleagues. They had to be guided largely by the advice of the Chinese church. So far the leaders of the church had asked' them to remain and they themselves felt at the moment that the answer to the problem could be discovered only by staying and finding out.

Members of the China Inland Mission. an international organisation, also remaining to carry on as far as practicable. There are approximately 149- members of this mission at headquarters in Shanghai.