HL Deb 10 February 1971 vol 315 cc142-4
LORD BOOTHBY

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, in the interests of world peace, the Prime Minister will consider making a visit to Peking, with a view to establishing direct personal contact with Chairman Mao Tsetung, Premier Chou-en-lai and other Chinese leaders; and to bringing Diplomatic and commercial relations between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China back to a more normal basis.]

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, the Prime Minister has no plans to visit China. Our relations with China over the past year have shown a marked and welcome improvement. Our more frequent contacts with Chinese officials both here and in Peking should ensure that the Chinese Government are fully aware of our wish for continued improvement in our relations, especially in the commercial, cultural and scientific fields. Our commercial relations with China are good and exports in 1970 amounted to £44.6 million.

LORD BOOTHBY

My Lords, arising out of that encouraging Answer, may I ask the noble Marquess whether he would not agree that it is a danger that by far the largest and potentially most powerful nation in the would should remain indefinitely in total isolation from the West, and does he not think that as the United States of America cannot possibly take the initiative in this connection the time will come quite soon when a major attempt should be made by Her Majesty's Government in order that there may be a breakthrough?

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, I share the noble Lord's views on this matter. We are working towards increasingly friendly relations with the Chinese régime, and I hope my original Answer will have satisfied the noble Lord on this point.

BARONESS LEE OF ASHERIDGE

My Lords, may I thank the noble Marquess for his Answer and hope that we may learn the lesson of the mistakes made by the Soviet Union? I believe that the history of the Soviet Union could have been much less austere if it had been brought into the community of nations sooner and more completely, and I fully endorse the remarks made by the noble Lord, Lord Boothby, when he asks that if China is now in a mood to have better relations with the West we should go halfway to meet her.

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, I entirely take that point.

LORD ROYLE

My Lords, is the noble Marquess aware that some of us—and there are quite a few in your Lordships' House—have had the opportunity within the last twenty years of conversations with Chou En-lai and have been able to trace a friendship towards the United Kingdom, even if that friendship did not extend to the United States of America? Would it not be helpful if the Prime Minister went out there in order to push much more widely open the door which is now slightly open?

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, as the noble Lord will realise I cannot commit my right honourable friend the Prime Minister in this matter, but I will certainly draw the attention of my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary to what the noble Lord has said.

LORD WYNNE-JONES

My Lords, can the noble Marquess tell us whether it is true that China is the only country which has succeeded in matching the rate of growth of the population to the supply of resources?

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

Not without notice, my Lords.

LORD ROBBINS

My Lords, the noble Marquess, in his reply, alluded to the improvement not only of commercial but of cultural relations. Is he in a position to give us tangible evidence of that?

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, if the noble Lord will forgive me, I should like to write to him about that matter.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, in view of the sympathetic response to these questions by the noble Marquess, why is it not possible for the Government to extend an invitation to the Heads of State of China to visit our country?

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, I will take note of what the noble Baroness has said.