HC Deb 19 May 1976 vol 911 cc1392-5
3. Mr. Forman

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of his visit to the People's Republic of China.

19. Mr. MacFarquhar

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the Far East.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Anthony Crosland)

I visited China from 3rd to 9th May, and Japan from 9th to 11th May. In China I had talks with the new Prime Minister, Mr. Hua Kuo-feng, and with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Trade. In Japan I also had talks with the Prime Minister, Mr. Miki, the Foreign Minister and the Minister of Foreign Trade. The talks in both countries were cordial and constructive, and covered a wide range of international and bilateral issues.

Mr. Forman

Although many Opposition Members welcome the fact that the Foreign Secretary carried out his trip to China as, I believe, the first ministerial contact between the Labour Government and the Chinese Government, will he accept that the talks, in his own words according to Press reports, did not amount to anything very much, and that this may have had a lot to do with the fact that in his talks on detente in particular he seemed to act as little more than an unpaid apologist for the Soviet Union?

Mr. Crosland

That is hardly the view of the Chinese Ministers to whom I was talking, who took the completely contrary view and constantly criticised me for the fact that I was adopting an opposite stance to that to which the hon. Gentleman referred. I tried to make two matters clear the whole time—two matters which I think represent the views of 90 per cent. of hon. Members. I tried to make it clear that, on the one hand, the West must remain strong, vigilant and determined against the possibility of a Soviet threat and, on the other hand, that that did not rule out the notion of the principle of detente, which is a general attempt to diminish the tension between East and West.

Mr. MacFarquhar

Is my right hon. Friend aware that everyone concerned to see better relations between China and this country will be glad that he made this trip so soon after his appointment and that many Sinologists in the country are worried about the grave imbalance of academic exchanges between the United Kingdom and China? Did he discuss the possibility of senior British scholars spending sabbaticals in China for periods of three to six months?

Mr. Crosland

I am obliged to my hon. Friend for his opening remarks. The question of cultural exchanges was raised, and there was agreement on both sides that we wanted more of those exchanges than now occur, although quite a number occur at present. I take on board my hon. Friend's point about the importance of academic visits. Having secured this agreement in principle for more exchanges, I should like now, through normal diplomatic channels, to settle the detail of how we see them taking place.

Sir Anthony Royle

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many of us welcome his visit to Peking representing Her Majesty's Government but were surprised by the very short time that he deigned to spend in Hong Kong, the biggest British colony in the world today? Is he aware, secondly, that many of us would like to know whether he reached any agreement on further sales of the Concorde, on sales of the Harrier, or on the subject of air traffic rights into Peking?

Mr. Crosland

On the question of Hong Kong, I, too, greatly regret that I had an opportunity for only a brief talk with the Governor, although I was in Hong Kong as recently as December and spent some time there talking over mutual problems.

As for the Concorde, the Chinese made it absolutely clear that they would take no decision until they had seen the Concorde in service and had been able to assess how commercially successful or otherwise it was. The Harrier was not mentioned.

I made the point about air traffic rights, but I cannot say that I got any response, other than a somewhat inscrutable one.

Mr. Hooley

In my right hon. Friend's conversations with Chinese and Japanese leaders did he discuss the general situation in Southern Africa and the possibility of concerting policies, for example, between Japan and this country towards that part of the world?

Mr. Crosland

I discussed Southern Africa at some length in both China and Japan. In the case of China—I think that the greatest curiosity is about what the Chinese approach might be—it is fair to say that the discussions had a somewhat one-sided character. I explained the British position on Southern Africa at some length, but I did not receive an immensely long answer on what the Chinese attitude might be.

Mr. Adley

In the Government's formulation of foreign policy in Asia, does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that China, with her resolute opposition to Soviet imperialism and with her purchases of British aerospace equipment, makes a better and more reliable ally for this country than the Indian Government, whose current affairs seem to revolve round opposition to the Concorde and a refusal to accept her responsibility for the Malawi Goans?

Mr. Crosland

At this early stage in my career in a new position I am reluctant to make comments of an exceedingly global or philosophical character. I prefer to confine myself to saying that we welcome allies of all kinds in all parts of the world.

Mr. Fernyhough

As the Opposition, at the time when the former Labour Government recognised China, were bitterly opposed to that step and as a substantial number of Opposition Members between 1950 and 1954 were prepared to wipe out China, does not my right hon. Friend think that it was fortunate that we did not follow their example, for otherwise we should never have got the invitation?

Mr. Crosland

If I may say so, there is great wisdom and merit in my right hon. Friend's proposition.

Sir Frederic Bennett

During the right hon. Gentleman's visit, did he obtain any instructive or refreshing views from the Chinese on how they regard the bogus Russian interpretation of détente?

Mr. Crosland

I shall not be inscrutable on this subject at all. I spent a considerable number of hours listening to the Chinese views on détente and on Soviet strength and intentions. As I said earlier—if I may be serious about this, because one or two exchanges today have been slightly less than serious—I made two matters clear the whole time. The first was that we accepted utterly and completely the need for the West to be strong in a military sense and vigilant against any possible Soviet threat. The second matter which I made clear was that, nevertheless, that did not mean that we could surrender the policy of détente, which has the command of the huge majority of hon. Members.

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