HC Deb 07 November 1966 vol 735 cc961-2
21. Mr. Judd

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further steps Her Majesty's Government will take to gain the admission of China to the United Nations.

25. Mr. Luard

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government is taking to secure a change in Chinese representation in the United Nations.

37. Mr. Brian Parkyn

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further steps he proposes to take to ensure that China now gains admission into membership of the United Nations at the earliest opportunity.

79. Mr. Lomas

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further action he proposes to take to secure the admission of the Republic of China to the United Nations.

Mr. George Brown

The speech I made recently to the United Nations General Assembly in New York should leave no doubt that I believe that the People's Republic of China should occupy the Chinese seat at the United Nations as soon as possible. Our representative at the United Nations will vote in this sense when the question is raised.

Mr. Judd

Would my right hon. Friend agree that if we believe in universal representation we ought to regard this as a measure to be decided by a simple majority rather than as a Special Resolution, to be decided by two-thirds majority?

Mr. Brown

That raises the question whether under the Charter this is an important question or not. It is very hard to declare that it is not; yet, by not declaring that it is not, the result is as my hon. Friend says. I am thinking about that, but I am pretty sure that at the moment we should vote for China's admission and vote also as recognising that the admission would be an important matter.

Mr. Luard

But would not my right hon. Friend agree that at least a first step could be made in the direction he had just mentioned? He himself has said that he would like to pursue the course of voting for Communist China's admission to the Specialised Agencies.

Mr. Brown

There is a Question on that aspect later in the Order Paper.