Paris, 15 October 1970
Confidential Personal
I notice with interest that Canada has now recognized Communist China, 2 and this will before long, I expect, be followed with recognition by Italy, Belgium and possibly some other countries.
While appreciating fully that this subject has really nothing to do with this mission, I would like to put into your mind the idea that if and as the pace of recognition increases, Australia should re-consider its own position. In saying this, I realize that for a number of reasons we are not at present in a position to follow Canada’s example. However, I wonder whether we should not make some move in that direction rather than tailing along behind the field and finally being forced, in a rather miserable way, to do what the majority of the world would in that event have done. I also believe myself that it would be unwise for us to abandon completely Formosa when we rightly attach so much importance as regards other countries to the principle of self-determination in freedom.
What I have in mind is, therefore, that Australia might at some appropriate time publicly endorse the two Chinas solution. Obviously, I do not need with you to go into the details of such an idea as there3 will be known to you. Of course, Communist China will reject any such initiative but this is to me not an insuperable obstacle because we would have moved towards recognition (and a recognition of what is, after all, the situation in fact) while at the same time we would have once again evinced our determination to see the independence of Formosa preserved.
These considerations may well, of course, be in your own mind as well as in those of others in Canberra in which case you can forget this piece of paper. But just in case, I thought it worthwhile writing to you.
[DFAT: WALLER PAPERS]
1 A.P. Renouf, Australian Ambassador to France.
2 Canada announced mutual recognition on 13 October 1970. For details of references in the joint communique to Taiwan, see Document 158.
3 The word ‘there’ should presumably read ‘these’.