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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, Number 25. 25th September 1974

Normal diplomacy

page 18

Normal diplomacy

Dear Editor,

Yes T. Auld did meet my criteria for a Maoist at the quality was of no importance. But after reading his reply as to why the Chinese attended the Malaysian national day celebrations I must admit my thoughts on the need for quality have changed somewhat.

As though to avoid my question Auld invented a new one. He asked whether China should have diplomatic relations with Malaysia at all, then devoted half his fetter to answering that. I have no objections to China gaining diplomatic relations with capitalist and imperialist countries. In fact I fully welcome them. But what I do object to is the overt friendliness of these relations. It is one thing to exchange ambassadors. It is quite another thing to exchange smiles, handshakes and toasts along with a noncritical silence.

The only mention that Auld does give to my question is to say that "It is normal practice for two countries with diplomatic relations to attend the other's national day celebrations". Normal?! Normal for whom? Normal practice implies an average; a practice carried out by most embassies. But most of the embassies are from the capitalist and imperialist countries. They attend these functions not because it is 'normal' but because they approve of the repressive Malaysian regime.

And China? Does China also approve? Its noncritical silence suggests so.

G.M. Cookson.