FAR. EASTERN POLICY
Snt,—I noticed in your editorial of May 20th on Far Eastern affairs that you predicted the strong possibility of an expansive foreign policy of the Chinese Communist Government, and suggested that Britain, in preparation for such an eventuality, should take every precaution in Malaya and Hongkong, and by implication in Austrilia. and India.
I rather doubt if the first premise could be sustained on even a speculative level. What; wilt China be confronted with after consolida- tion by the Communist forces ? She will be faced with tremendous internal problems which will absorb all her energies and skills. Besides, one of the principal aims of the triumvirate, Chu Teh, -Mao, and Chou, is to build up China first, on the ," Socialism of one country " pattern, whereas Chiang and his group always seemed to. favour making China a world Power before she was ready for even a small Power stasis.
The second proposition hinges in one respect on the expansive foreign policy which, as I have indicated, cannot be sustained. Still, there is this aspect which, I think, was only implied in your editorial, and that is that the large Chinese populations in Malaya and Hongkong might turn subversive and overthrow British rule. That is a distinct danger and must not be minimised. It would be dangerous, however, to curb these peoples because of their likelihood of being dangerous agents for Chinese Communism. Precaution should not take the form of stopping every reform movement because it might have some nebulous connection with a political movement outside the country. The best and only course, it seems to me, is to abandon the old-style imperialism (which is on its last legs anyway in the Far East—Indo-China, Indonesia, &c.), promise return ,of Hongkong to the Chinese, who will eventually try to take it by force anyway, and prepare Malaya for self- government, as we did the Philippines. For every Malayan and Chinese you kill or put in jail, there will be others rising to avenge the martyrs. Let us see if Britain, as the cradle of personal liberties for her own peoples, can be just as generous with personal liberties for her subject
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