PM Transcripts

FOR PRESS: PM No. 52/ 197 1
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINJA
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. William McMahon--
T he A us t rali an G overnment has noted the rapid
succession of events which suggest a marked development in the willingness
of the People's Republic of China to deal with the rest of the world.
We have already stated that it is our long term objective to
normalise our bilateral relations with the Government of the People's
Republic of China and we have further decided that we will now explore
the possibilities of establishing a dialogue with the Government of the
People's Republic. We must bear in mind that a major obstacle to the
development of formal relations with the People's Republic of China
has been that Government's support for insurgency and subversion in
countries of the region with which we as an Australian Government
have close relations and mutual strategic interests.
For those reasons we will proceed with caution and we
will want to ensure that when any steps are taken there will be some
response of a reasonable kind from Peking.
Whatever we do will be without prejudice to the rights of
the Republic of China on Taiwan.
Subject to security requirements there are, of course,
no restrictions on the rights of Australians to visit the People's
Republic of China.
CA NBERRA
11 May 1971