TNAG-0116-FCO40-152-Departmental-Briefs-For-Meetings--Visits-and-Foreign-Affairs-1969 — Page 57

FIRST DRAFT

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"

I am glad to be able to contribute myself to the

"Britain in Asia" supplement of "Far Eastern Economic

Review", a publication of much value to all who concern

themselves with Asian affairs.

My country has a long history of association with

many of the countries of Asia. For nearly two centuries

the British Empire in Asia was a major factor in Asian

affairs. Now that almost all of it has been replaced by

sovereign, independent states, and that we are in the

process of withdrawing our last permanent military

garrisons East of Suez (other than that in Hong Kong) we

shall not 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 South-East Asia Treaty

Organisation, of the Colombo Plan, of the United Nations

Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, and of the

Asian Development Bank. Two-fifths of all our bilateral

aid is to Asian countries (amounting to some £68 million

in 1968) and we are not allowing our balance of payments

difficulties to cause the sterling total of our overseas

aid to be reduced.

In addition to regular economic aid to Asia we are

to provide £75 million of special aid to Malaysia and

Singapore (as well as transferring to them free of charge

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