China Policy

In matters of Far Eastern policy, Canada's External Affairs Minister Lester Pearson tends to see eye to eye with Britain's Anthony Eden and India's Jawaharlal Nehru. But last week, when both Eden and Nehru criticized the U.S. decision to end the Seventh Fleet patrol off Formosa (see INTERNATIONAL), Pearson cautiously parted company with them. Rising in Parliament, he said: "[The] statement by President Eisenhower . . . contained much that was wise and heartening to us all ... Canadians know President Eisenhower well . . . and have full confidence ... in his peaceful and constructive purposes. And I am convinced that one of these purposes ... is to end and not to extend the Korean war."

Extension of the war might result, Pearson said, if Nationalist Chinese forces were to invade the mainland escorted by U.S. or other United Nations military units. But. he added, "we have no reason to believe . . . that any such development will take place . . . Meanwhile, I think it would be unwise and premature to jump to dogmatic or critical conclusions."

Pearson's statement represented no fundamental change in Canada's Far Eastern policy. That policy, so far as it concerns China, is one of acceptance of the Communist conquest. Explains one Canadian diplomat: "The key word is passivity."

Actually, Canadian officialdom's views on China have changed reluctantly since the days when it was popularly believed that the Red Chinese were the sponsors of a humane land reform movement. Canada in 1950 was all set to recognize the Chinese Communist government, and the Korean war upset the plan. Canadian diplomats now admit that Canada "would have looked awfully foolish and inept if we'd gone through with recognition." They also confess that they did not expect the Chinese Reds "to be as vicious as they became" in Korea. But disillusioned though they have been on some scores, Canada's China policymakers still look with cool distaste on the Nationalists in Formosa, still cling to their passive attitude toward Chinese Communism.

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