VISIT TO MOSCOW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27291, 18 January 1950, Page 5

VISIT TO MOSCOW

Chinese Communist Leader GROWING AMERICAN INTEREST New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 17. Emphasising America’s growing interest in the talks now going on in Moscow between Mao Tse-tung, the Chinese Communist leader, and the Soviet Government, the Washington correspondent of The Times says that when Mr Dean Acheson, the United States Secretary of State, spoke last week of the detachment of four northern areas of China he was speaking of the subject which is accepted in Washington as being the cause of the length of Mao’s stay in the Russian capital. Once in control of the mainland of China, it is natural that Mao should consider himself in a position to ask the Soviet to negotiate afresh the 1945 treaty on the ground that the treaty was originally signed with the Nationalists and that the Communists deserve better treatment.

National pride, the correspondent says, would,force Mao to demand that all four areas be returned to Chinese rule; national interest makes the return of Manchuria vital. Nobody can do more than guess what is happening in Moscow, but if Mao had got what he wanted it is permissible to believe he would not have stayed so long, the correspondent adds. “ Whatever happens, it is believed that the fundamental difference between Russian and Chinese interests cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of both parties. It is this belief that is the basis of Mr Acheson’s policy of letting the Russians accumulate a reservoir of ill-will and keeping the United States free from the accusation of imperialism.”