TNAG-0116-FCO40-152-Departmental-Briefs-For-Meetings--Visits-and-Foreign-Affairs-1969 — Page 48

Introductory article by the Prime Minister for the "Britain in Asia" supplement to be published

with the 25th September, 1969, issue of "Far Eastern Economic Review"

Gian

приорал

I welcome this opportunity to contribute an introduction

to the "Britain in Asia" supplement of "Far Eastern Economic

Review", a publication of importance to all who concern

themselves with Asian affairs.

For nearly two centuries the British Empire in Asia

was a major factor in Asian affairs. Now almost all of it

has been replaced by sovereign, independent states, and

we are in the process of withdrawing our last permanent

military garrisons East of Suez (other than that in Hong

Kong). However this does not in any way mean that we are

going to lose interest in a part of the world with which

our contacts have been so varied, so deep and so long-

standing.

We remain members of the Colombo Plan, of the Asian

Development Bank, of the United Nations Economic Commission

for Asia and the Far East, and of the South-East Asia Treaty

Organisation. About two-fifths of all our bilateral aid

is to Asian countries; this amounted to some £68 million in

1968. Despite our current balance of payments difficulties

we have maintained the level of our basic overseas aid pro-

gramme.

In addition to regular economic aid to Asia we are

providing £75 million of special aid to Malaysia and

Singapore (as well as transferring to them free of charge our

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