PM Transcripts

Transcripts from the Prime Ministers of Australia

McMahon, William

Period of Service: 10/03/1971 - 05/12/1972
Release Date:
29/10/1971
Release Type:
Speech
Transcript ID:
2489
Document:
00002489.pdf 4 Page(s)
Released by:
  • McMahon, William
RECORD OF MAIN POINTS MADE BY THE PRIME MINISTER AT NEW YORK TIMES LUNCHEON - HOSTED BY HARDING F HATCROFT, EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT, IMPACT OF CHINESE ENTRY INTO THE UNITED NATIONS

F A' 1 -kr V TSe.
I OF'TM ! AC 1FIT" ZOD
The P~ rime M'ilEtur ovaid in reapon., o to P. cquetio-n
from the Editor ( Vr Oakeso that he did not ocoasidor tiio i-rapat
on Australian policy of China's entx7 Into the United lationa
would be groat. lie aoo sald that he did not think the t act
that ive had vote-d againot the Albaniari, iieol~ utl oL 1'~ vn
& uy par'ticul~ ar effcct on the wa'y in our rolations wt'it
the 1P. H. C. would davelop.
Th ?-4riae Xlnietor szaid th-at the concrctclv ot. x1
of China's member13hip of' tho United IEationz, or indece, ot
diplomatic recoenitiona of China, were ztill tnccrtaino For
oxamplo, it had made little difference to the 1Jriitod xln-domi orc
so far, to Ctujada. The Prinme NIiister said it was important that
China be drawn, into the comity of nations, but we should a. ot
forget that China was still willing to assiot revolutionary
movements in the Aaian region, including those on the Thai border.
Asked uhy so few of its major allieo had
supported the United State position1 on China, the Prime 1œ 4inistor
said that the European countries, for example, were fuirthor away
from the north Asian region. They tendered to be se1Af-coi2tred
and remote from the problem. B~ elgium had probably not roupported
us after saying it would because it was not consitlted about the
timing of the second Kissinger viIcit to Poking.

2-
Tho Prñ i M~ nloter &~ dtho ncxt few years
would be a crucial pr : od in which it i-would be necess= y to
find a new balance botween theo great pawars -the Un-Itod
3taton, the Soviet Union, Clhinao Japtx and an intograted
Europe to ensure an onduiring peace.
IUiIT.* D ~ TT3AFTSR-VIRT NAP! O
There wasi somel discussion as to whether' or not
the United States was turning ieolationist of tho role
which the Unite~ d tatea smiglht usefully 9ack~ to p. hay in Azia
in the futre. The Priae niotar said it was unlikelir that
the United fota" Gea vould got involved again 1. u a land rar ia
0Ania. Its rolc ahculd be to enoure st' ic~. it finan
asoictence and aid to mtaintain the viability of the coiuitrica
in thie region, In Viet Nam and Cam~ bodia, in particula-r, the
United States should assiat in providinS adequate training of
local forces ac wollas necesedry air and naval support.
JAPAN. Tarning to Japani, theo Primie Minister said that-ho
wanted to emphasine the crucial inportanco of Japan. A91riu
policios had already dairiaged the Sato leader2hip. There was
nobody who could replace him. Otherwise, he would probably
have fallen by n~ ow. This waa partly due to United Slitatec failure
to handle its approach to Japan on major iseues adequately.

It waa LrVortaimt that in any Anncirlcem atem~ i
to got a detente witil Ch~ ina ara the S3ovict lVntonq japan Musjt
not be forgotte'z Tho United States should not viork in awa
v; hich w~ ould hinder Japan developingj irear trade.
CHiINA: Ini answer to anothor quention about obanpin~ g
attitudoe to China, the ]? rinc Alinistor sead that bAstralia
had movod away from the Lullee theories of corxtaiyument and
inaotive anti-co== i a~ m, Since last year we had been ret'l-
inking the bauis of our policy to-wardo China., This w~ as
not beuause we hacd. csaaed to lie antipat1hetic to comuii
but we accepted the neod to livO ' With It on tho ba~ sis of au
aocommodation, Thic acooawodation, howevero atill needed~ to
be backed by strength. In response -to & rnother question, the Pritne k-iistar
vaid that it iw true that the United ' States was g~ oing through
-somiething of a dowestio trauma. However, he haxd no doubt that
the problome giving rise to this would be overoome and the
United btates would continue to play a vcry importwant and active
rolo in world affairs.
~ i'IG~~ TIN. Asked by the E~ ditor about our "' exclutsive" immigration
policy, the Prime ninister said that this was a misleading phrase.
Our im. igration policy was restrictive, but it was not exclusive.
hlon-Buropeans# including black Americana, could enter Australia for

4 .1a
Cehe crtvi for inc ude-matf. Were ttmt tho & plicant , toul. d
mied to be ) alc to g'tt Into Aœ or& all 2vlt Pnld th~ at h(, xjo
ha~ ve ' ckilln vhlch iio neecd in Autmla Our policy
had been coniqra~ biy libralifQCd : W 1966a
The IPrituo ! Uiater6~ added tha~ t , x hnd actu& ally bcm,
tc. UW. in too nxtiñ y miret zmd he had had the irntake r; dtued x'eoon-t1
S. B. C. m~ uoit be aieod. Hiroverv the Euopancontio
condiioted 4-0t', of the rldla trado amd i. t im-ad bo rjnl_
tq inditoo t ': Ie to eant into fre trode. inrp coa
to be~ outuard lookcine a~ nd underiutnd~ t1o value~ of~ larae ol
trae. The . C woUdl need to Ulto c glob,-, r-flor th. a
rogiñ ona1 approach.
* 1'" 11TV43 Im, reiaporns to a questiong the 2rimme 1' Uniotvr
said tha~ t i~ t Umat Auztralia'o view that it wa neczmvry to oome
to a qiLck ncozi~ odation on foreign oxahauro ratev and thñ e revaluation~
upwarda of the Thin, 11eutch Rmr e2nd gold. 120 ntian. dolt-! tiould
bo hurmful. It seevdod strarq to hi that the United ktates amnted
SD., AOu# but wa ro1uotamt to aeie toar. 2vinreace iii tho prico of~
gold*

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