SEURE!
ZOPEDIJO
HICK 3/525/3
SECRET
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
MO 25/2/19/1
PRIME MINISTER
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DEFENCE SECRETARY'S TOUR
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1973
You and our DOPC colleagues may like to have the following impressions of my overseas tour.
Five Power Defence Arrangements
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2. My main purpose was to renew contact with our partners in the Five Power Defence Arrangements, and in particular to sound out the attitude of the newly elected Labour Governments in Australia and New Zealand. In general, I was reassured though I feel that their inexperience and style will expose us at times to irritation and embarrassment. Mr. Whitlam and Mr. Kirk intend to honour the Five Power Arrangements so long as Malaysia and Singapore wish to keep them, as they do. I am reasonably confident that we shall succeed in handling the consequences of the withdrawal of the Australian combat troops in a way that will enable us to maintain a viable (two-battalion) ANZUK brigade in Singapore.
*
Australia and New Zealand
3.
The new Governments in Australia and, to a lesser extent, in New Zealand are attracted by the vague objectives of neutralisation and of some new and wide political grouping unrelated to security needs in S.E. Asia and the Pacific. Mr. Whitlam likes to strike attitudes and wishes to break away from past associations and be more closely linked with 'third world' countries. Both he and Mr. Kirk are, however, conscious that these ideas have still to be worked out as long-term aims; and that, at the present time, nothing should be done which might weaken the U.S. commitment to S.E. Asia. They have no intention therefore, at least at the moment, of leaving SEATO, although they would like it to adopt a lower profile and concern itself increasingly with civil rather than military affairs.
4.
As to the ANZUK forces in Malaysia and Singapore the New Zealanders intend to maintain their contribution, while the Australians, committed by election pledges, have confirmed their intention of withdrawing their infantry battalion and artillery battery (in effect all their combat troops) from Singapore around the end of the year. However, their air and naval units will
* DOP(73) 1st Meeting, Item 1.
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