CONFIDENTIAL
independent Taiwanese government by other countries would still be anathema to Beijing.
20.
Mr Harland added that according to the Chinese Ambassador in London, Fiji had been permitted
considerably more scope with her dealings with Taiwan than any other Government, as the Chinese Government had been willing to admit the peculiar difficulties of Fiji.
21.
Mr Marshall mentioned that a non-governmental New Zealand Chamber of Commerce office would soon open in Taiwan. New Zealand needed to catch up with her competitors.
BILATERAL RELATIONS
22. Concluding the discussions, Mr Marshall said that such differences that existed between New Zealand and the UK related to his government's anti-nuclear policy. He wished to make clear that New Zealand remained part of the Western presence in the South Pacific and in particular of the Western security presence. Perceptions of security in the South Pacific, of which New Zealand was a part, were different from those in Europe. He felt that the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty or New Zealand policy on ship's visits should not be regarded as an abdication of her responsibilities towards the defence of the West. New Zealand still possessed a conventional defence system and still regarded cooperation with the UK and the USA as very important. Conventional cooperation had, if anything, been increased.
23. Lord Glenarthur said that the preservation of Western security remained paramount. We could only see New Zealand's policy as a chink in Western armour We greatly regretted that ship visits etc were no longer possible. Mr Marshall said he accepted that the situation was different in Europe. New Zealand did not deny that deterrence was important in Europe, but he asked that we should consider the point of view of the Pacific. Western security was an international patchwork of defence relations in which New Zealand played its part in the South Pacific. Lord Glenarthur said that we nevertheless hoped that New Zealand might change its policy.
24. The Ministers agreed on the need to develop the many areas of common interest, notwithstanding disagreement on the nuclear issue.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ 25.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.