DJ. 32855 Ed (4200)
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Confidential
probably put her in the van of any reinsurance
movement.
33 To what extent would a South East Asia,
intent on good relations with Peking, be detri-
mental to Western interests? Would the northern
tier become a number of A
ostrich-like
apprehensive/Burmas closed to any significant
Western penetration? Or would there still be
scope for Western economic aid and commercial
effort, so that after an initial Bush towards
Peking the countries might settle back into a
balanced posture (or even a grouping) in which Western interests could still develop?
34 Regional cooperation in South East Asia x
-
as a whole or in either the northern or scuthern
tiers seems to offer the best hope of arderly
economic development and maximum freedom from
Chire se domination. There have been, and still
are, efforts to co-operate on a regional basis
('Maphilindo', ASA (now ASEAN), ASPAC, Asian
Development Bank). But such efforts are severel
hampered by particular rivalries Thailand/
Cambodia; Malaysia/Philippines; Malaysia/Singa-
pore. The prospects are probably brighter in.
the southern tier where Indonesia, with a popula
tion of over 100 million and great natural
wealth, is a natural focus for co-operation.
with outside aid, she is able to surmount her
..conomic and internal problems and avoid a
rosurgence of Communism, she is bound to be
second only to Japan in any eforts towards
regionalism in South East Asia. But, alterna- tively, a chaotic Indonesia could revert to an
/expansionist
If
1-
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