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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 22. 1973

[Introduction]

The news that China had exploded a nuclear device in recent days reached New Zealand just as the frigate Otago left for its Pacific cruise in connection with the French Bomb Tests at Mururoa. Not suprisingly, many people were shocked by China's action, as much work has been done in this country building opposition to such tests. The leading reactions came from Norm Kirk and Peace Media's Barry Mitcalfe.

Mitcalfe has a long history of anticommunism which goes well back before the bomb test became trendy. When he was running the local Committee on Vietnam he used to send telegrams to Ho Chi Minh telling him to give up fighting. And it was under his "leadership" that members of the Communist Party were proscribed from joining the Committee on Vietnam. Barry's not too bad at spotting symptoms of an evil but he's never been strong on discerning the political reality behind it.

Kirk's strongly worded protest is an open violation of the principle of non-interference in one another's affairs enunciated when New Zealand recognised China. Since December 21 1972, when New Zealand recognised China on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful co-existence, Kirk has shown no interest in or sympathy for the Chinese people, other than a cringing attempt to establish trade links.