§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKMy 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 they are now ready to recognise the Chinese People's Republic by appointing an Ambassador in Peking.]
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, I am glad to repeat the announcement made yesterday by my right honourable friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary in another place. Discussions with the Government of the People's Republic of China about an exchange of Ambassadors have been successfully concluded and a communiqué on this matter was signed yesterday in Peking. When early last year we decided to resume discussions with the Chinese Government on this subject, we told them that if an agreement on an exchange of Ambassadors was reached, we would he prepared to withdraw our consulate from Taiwan. This we shall now do.
§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKMy Lords, I thank the noble Marquess for that Answer and welcome the end of the 21 years' lacuna which has existed and which has meant that we have not had an Ambassador. May I ask whether our Consulate at Shanghai will now have full Consulate status, because it is of vital importance to bankers and businessmen who have to enter that part of China? Finally, may I ask the name of the Ambassador, because I think this House would like to hear it?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, on the first supplementary of the 311 noble Lord—and may I say that I am grateful to him for his welcome of this announcement—I am afraid that I should require notice. I am not quite certain about the position of the Consultate in Shanghai. The name of the Ambassador is Mr. John Addis, who has been our Chargé during the past few months.
§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKMy Lords, would the noble Marquess like to know that all sides of this House wish Mr. Addis well, as a Chinese scholar—he is also an able organist—who worked under the noble Lord, Lord Trevelyan, as Counsellor at one time?
§ LORD HARVEY OF PRESTBURYMy Lords, while welcoming the statement made by my noble friend, may I ask what arrangements, if any, will be made to look after British interests in Taiwan?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, the position in Taiwan is that the Australian Government have agreed in principle to assume informal responsibility for our interests.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, since it is understood that British trade with Taiwan is growing considerably in some directions, and since I understood the noble Marquess to say that Her Majesty's Consulate is being withdrawn from Taiwan, can he indicate what sort of references will be possible for those trading with Taiwan?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, of course it is possible to trade with Taiwan without the services of a British consulate, which I should remind my noble friend was accredited only to local authorities in Taiwan and not to the central Government. There are many States in the world which do more business with Taiwan than we do, and they have no consular facilities whatsoever.
§ LORD SEGALMy Lords, are the Government indifferent to the fate of the 14 million Chinese in Taiwan who have never been Communist in the past and have no wish to become Communist in the future?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANNo, my Lords, we are not at all indifferent.
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, is the noble Marquess aware that we on this 312 side of the House join with my noble friend in welcoming this announcement of the resumption of full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China? May I also ask him whether he will convey to the officials of the department concerned in the Foreign Office the appreciation of this House for the patience and skill with which they have worked towards this end under successive Governments?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANYes, my Lords. I am most grateful to the noble Lord, and will certainly convey his words to those concerned.
§ LORD SEGALMy Lords, will Her Majesty's Government say what would be their attitude if the Peking Government decided to resolve the present situation by resorting to the use of force?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, perhaps I ought to say what Her Majesty's Government's position is regarding the situation over Taiwan. It is that we acknowledge the position of the Chinese Government, that Taiwan is a province of the People's Republic of China. Both the Government of the People's Republic of China and that of T'ai-pei maintain that Taiwan is part of China. We held the view, both at Cairo and at Potsdam, that Taiwan should be restored to China. That view has not changed; but we think the Taiwan question is China's internal affair, to be settled by the Chinese people themselves.
§ LORD SEGALMy Lords, would the noble Marquess not agree that enough blood has already been shed in resolving the internal political issues of China; and would Her Majesty's Government seek to use their influence to see that any future solution of the existing problem will not be decided by the shedding of more blood?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANNaturally, my Lords; I think the whole House would agree with the noble Lord in his desire to see no more blood shed over this question, and I will naturally take note of what he has said.
§ LORD AVEBURYMy Lords, whilst fully agreeing with the decision to recognise the People's Republic of China, may I ask the noble Marquess whether this is not purely a matter of expediency and 313 "me too-ism", following the steps of President Nixon? Can the noble Marquess says what the arguments are for recognising the People's Republic of China, so that we may see whether they do not also apply to the German Democratic Republic?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, I think the question of the German Democratic Republic is very much outside the range of to-day's Question.
§ LORD CONESFORDMy Lords, is it not a fact that we have recognised the People's Republic of China for a very long time indeed, and that we are not recognising them for the first time when we exchange Ambassadors?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANExactly, my Lords.
§ LORD STRANGMy Lords, is it not a fact that the Government of the People's Republic of China was recognised fully by Her Majesty's Government as far back as 1950?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANThat is perfectly true, my Lords.