HL Deb 05 December 1966 vol 278 cc896-8

2.48 p.m.

LORD BARNBY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is true, as reported in the Press, that the U.K. representative at the U.N. has stated that Britain is supporting the admission of Red China to the U.N., and also the dropping of Nationalist China, both of which proposals are well known to be repugnant to so large a proportion of voters in the U.S.A. by reason of China's aggression in Korea and the heavy casualties resulting there from; and whether they can assure the House that such recommendations now have the full agreement of the Government of the U.S.A.]

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, the answer to the noble Lord's first question is "Yes", and to his second "No".

LORD BARNBY

My Lords, arising out of the very decisive answer, and in view of the extent to which the Government see fit to lean on the United States for financial reasons, would it not be wise to be more reserved in our expressions on this matter? Further, is it not the fact that in this case we are going contrary to a principle in order to get a commercial advantage, which is very much in opposition to what the noble Lord greatly stressed recently in your Lordships' House? Would it not be quite wrong to disregard a principle for commercial gain?

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, the principle to which we adhere in this case is the principle of universality, and we are sticking to that. I cannot quite see where the commercial gain comes in on one side or the other, but I can assure the noble Lord that our relations with the United States are in no way impaired by our taking on a matter of this sort a view which is entirely different from theirs. They understand our position and we understand theirs.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, would the noble Lord be good enough to distinguish between the admission to the United Nations of Red China, which I think most Parties now support, and the dropping of Nationalist China from the United Nations, which does not necessarily follow from that admission? Have the Government any idea of what would be the position of Nationalist China if Red China were admitted?

LORD WALSTON

Her Majesty's Government and preceding Governments have always taken the view that the position of Formosa is still unascertained and remains to be ascertained in the future. The decision to vote in favour of the admission of Mainland China has been taken with that well explained and understood.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, the noble Lord would not draw the inference contained in the Question that the admission of Red China would necessarily mean the expulsion of Nationalist China from the United Nations?

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, that is still for discussion. So far as the Government are concerned, no final decision has been arrived at.

LORD BARNBY

My Lords, did I misunderstand the noble Lord when I thought he said he did not expect that our support for the admission of Red China to the United Nations would probably result in considerable commercial advantage to this country?

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, I said I could not see that in this matter there was a balance one way or the other of commercial advantage; the decision was taken purely on the principle of universality.