F76/ 142
Jj ASXLIAL
. FOR PRE SS 4 July 1976
ELECTORAL TALK
I want to report to you tonight about my visit to
Japan and China.
: The-visit was most important for Australia. it was
most important for all Australians.
I want to stress-. that the visit was the Government's first
major international visit.
It was planned that way for one special reason. My
Government places particular emphasis on our relations
with both Japan and China and with other countries in the
South East Asian region.
We had two main objectives.
First we wanted to strengthen the Government to Government
relationships w-ith Japan and China. We wanted to involve
ourselves directly with their leaders and discuss problems,
discuss areas of agreement and develop a first hand understanding.
Second,. we wanted to further develop and extend our trade
relationships and our cultural and our social understanding.
Let there be no doubt we achieved these objectives.
The Government's relations with Japan and China are now stronger
than ever. We spoke frankly we listened to frank views.
Out of these discussions has come a greater respect for
Australia as a nation.
We achieved a great deal of goodwill towards Australia.
At a grass roots level, we gained much that will benefit
this nation for decades ahead.
In Japan, I signed a Treaty that will materially strengthen
our economic relations and add real two-way stability to our
trade with Japan.
It is worth noting that Australia has no such agreement with
any other country. That alone is surely a measure of how we
regard our links. / 2
In Japan we also spent many hours talking with the
Prime Minister of Japan about the need for stability
in our joint trade efforts.
In fact, I believe these discussions were some of the most
crucial and most significant of the entire tour.
Our trade relations with Japan means a great deal to Australia
and to the way in which we all live.
Some nineteen years ago, under the initiative of Sir
Robert Menzies,, Australia signed wvhat was called a
commercial agreement. Since then trade between us has
increased by 15 times. Today Japan is our major trading
partner. Our meetings with the Prime Minister and his trade officials
confirmed -that-both countries want stability and predictability
in trade relations.
Australian companies and Japanese companies can plan and
develop trade between each other knowing'a that both
Governments will encourage their efforts.
In other areas of course our relations with Japan are of
absolute importance.
Clearly, Japan will play a great role in the future of
Asia and the Pacific basis region. Japan will play a
crucial part in preserving stability and development in our region.
Japan is of course aware that Australia will play an important
and re-sponsible'. part in reaching this goal. E
I want to now focus on the achievements in China.
We went ' to * China one of the greatest powers in the world,
and with a population of 800 million to look and to learn.
We also went so that the Chinese leaders could get a first hand
insight of how we see world developments affecting us in
Australia. On both counts the visit was an unqualified success.
i am very pleased to be able to report that relations betwieen
Australia and China have never been stronger.
We have developed a very solid basis for a long term period
of respect and mutual understanding.
This then was our finest achievement in China.
This understanding is not something one can pick up and
add a signature to.
It is something however that is going to benefit generations
o f Australians. 3
We cannot and did not expect rapid results from
our visit to China. We did not expect or work forformal
trade agreements and the like.
Building relations requires patience, persistence and
understanding. This especially applies to a country
whose history, culture and political structure is so
different to our own.
In China, however,, we were pleased to gain-an assurance
that they would not allow Party to Party relations and
that means communist party to communist party to affect
the relationship between-Governments. That has particular
importance to countries in which insurgency has been
taking place.
That was a very clear statement and one which has real
significance to Australia and to our neighbours.
President Marcos of the Philippines for one has no
doubt of the importance of that assurance from China.
He has told me that it will give the ASEAN countries
f urther reassurances. I
Some commentators mainly those who remained in Australiaclaimed
that by developing our relations with China we are aligning
ourselves against Soviet Russia.
This claim is completely without foundation.
We believe that good relations with Soviet Russia are important
to Aus-tralia.
The Government has ahd messages during the last few days
that plainly indicate that Soviet Russia wants a friendly
relationship to continue with Australia. They also
demonstrated this with a very wrarm welcome given to Mr
Nixon, the Minister for Transport, in the last few days.
I have no doubt that we will continue to have a good working
relationship with Russia.
Overall, the visit to Japan and China has achieved a great deal
for Australia.
Our relations with both countries are stronger than ever;
we made great advances in economic and trade matters with Japan;
we gained intimate knowledge of the thinking of Chinese leaders;
and we clearly and frankly put our position on events that affect
the people of Australia.
This all means that Australia will be better able to take its
place as a responsible and meaningful influence in the growth and
development of our own region. 000000000