CO129-619-1 Parliamentary delegation to China 1-9-1947 - 23-12-1947 — Page 82

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of the many conflicting statements which have been made in this debate to-day, but I do deplore with General Marshall, the deep-rooted, mutual suspicion and distrust with which the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang rogard cach other. That, as General Marshall has said, has proved to bo the principal obstacle to peace. I am afraid I always distrust labuls. Peuple are apt to label somebody with a particular ticket and to say that that is finishod. It is not at all. All my political life I have done the best I can to steer clear of labels. I fool most earnestly that, leaving out the extremists of the two sides - because there are extremists on both sidos - the sensible mon of the middle may find some road upon which they can travel together.

The third aspect of the Moscow Declaration called for a cossation of civil strife in China. An armistice arranged by General Marshall only a short time ago proved unfortunately to be short-lived and, as wo all know, sporadic fighting is going on in various parts of Northern China and may casily still further increase. It is wholly lamentable and doporable that a country which has gone through the terrible experiences which China has gone through, which stood up so bravely to the invasion by the Japanese in 1937 and which nocds more than any other country in the world the blossings of pouce, should still be torn by this internal strife. Surely ono may appeal to both sides, to all mon of goodwill of all parties, to come together and do the best they possibly can in the interests of that great country.

In some quarters it has been suggested that because of the support of the United States Government in China, His Majesty's Government have been encouraging a perpetuation of the civil war in that country. Let me say that His Majesty's Governmont do not follow blindly the policy of any foreign Government. We look at each problem as it affects us from our point of view. It is true that in China our general aims happen to be the same as those of the United States. They are to do business and conduct relations with a strong, stable Government which can honour its obligations and which is based on a broad democratic basis. Beyond that wo have not committed ourselves. It is not for us to explain or to justify the policy of the United States Government in China. That policy has been authoritatively expressed by the statement issued by President Truman on 18th December, when he said with regard to the American attitude on the Chinese Civil War, as he called it:

"We are plodged not to interfere in the internal affairs of China. While avoiding the involvement in their civil strife, we will persevere with our policy of helping the Chinese people to bring about peace and economic recovery in their country."

That is the policy of the United States authoritatively declared, and that is the same policy that His Majesty's Government wish to pursue.

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So far as the supply of arms to China is concerned it is certainly the fact that we are sending nothing, and I am informed that no war materials have been supplied to China from the United States for several months past.

Wo are

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