Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–12, Documents on East and Southeast Asia, 1973–1976

54. Telegram 97105 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Australia, April 26, 1975, 0054Z.¹ ²

April 26, 1975, 0054Z

TELEGRAM
Department of State
097105

P R 260054Z APR 75

FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY
INFO AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
AMEMBASSY SEOUL
USMISSION GENEVA
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
AMCONSUL PORT MORESBY
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY MANILA
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
CINCPAC HONOLULU HI

STATE 097105

E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: AS NZ, US, ANZUS

SUBJECT: ANZUS COUNCIL MEETING

CINCPAC ALSO FOR POLAD

1. TWENTY-FOURTH MEETING OF ANZUS COUNCIL WAS HELD IN WASHINGTON APRIL 24 AND 25. LEADERS OF DELEGATIONS WERE FOREIGN MINISTER WILLESEE, NEW ZEALAND LABOR MINISTER FAULKNER, AND US DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE INGERSOLL, WHO CHAIRED THE THREE SESSIONS. SECRETARY KISSINGER PARTICIPATED IN ONE SESSION AND IN THE RECEPTION HOSTED BY THE US ON APRIL 24.

2. COUNCIL SESSIONS WERE CHARACTERIZED BY FRANK DISCUSSION OF A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE IMPACT OF EVENTS IN INDOCHINA, ESPECIALLY ON THAILAND AND KOREA AND ON SOVIET AND PRC PERCEPTIONS OF US. OTHER DELS AGREED WITH US POSITION THAT THERE WAS NO POINT IN THEIR RECOGNIZING PRG NOW, SINCE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH VIET-NAM ITSELF IN PROCESS OF EXPLORING OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE. AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND DELS SAID THEY FOUND OUR ASSESSMENT OF PROSPECTS FOR THAILAND MORE PESSIMISTIC THAN THEIR OWN.

3. US SIDE MADE IT CLEAR THAT US IS NOT RPT NOT WITHDRAWING FROM ASIA/PACIFIC REGION, THAT IT INTENDS TO CONTINUE PLAYING MAJOR ROLE THERE, AND THAT ITS NEED FOR CONTINUING ACCESS TO PACIFIC AND INDIAN OCEANS FOR STRATEGIC MOBILITY IS HEIGHTENED DURING TIMES OF POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY. AUSTRALIANS REITERATED DESIRE FOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN US AND USSR ON LIMITING FORCES IN INDIAN OCEAN. ON OTHER HAND, NEW ZEALANDERS CITED INCREASED SOVIET SHIP VISITS TO SOUTH PACIFIC AS A MATTER OF SOME CONCERN. WHILE AUSTRALIAN SIDE SAID IT PLANNED LEAVE SEATO AND FPDA AS THEY ARE, NEW ZEALANDERS INDICATED THEY ARE CURRENTLY THINKING OF WITHDRAWING FORCES FROM FPDA IN ABOUT TWO YEARS.

4. AUSTRALIANS AND NEW ZEALANDERS EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT US WOULD BOUNCE BACK FROM INDOCHINA EXPERIENCE. FAULKNER THOUGHT THAT DETENTE HAS NOT LIVED UP TO PROMISE, AND THAT ARGUMENT COULD BE MADE IT HAS WEAKENED WESTERN ALLIANCES. US SIDE NOTED THAT WITH REMOVAL OF VN AS FOCAL POINT, HOPEFULLY US COULD RETURN TO RATIONAL AID PROGRAM, BUT THAT FEWER RESOURCES MIGHT BE AVAILABLE. US SIDE STATED THAT OF ALL AREAS, MOST PROFOUND EFFECT OF INDOCHINA EVENTS HAS BEEN FELT IN KOREA; JAPAN SO FAR HAS NOT ENGAGED IN FUNDAMENTAL REASSESSMENT.

5. BOTH NPW ISSUE AND SOUTH PACIFIC NUCLEAR FREE ZONE WERE DISCUSSED. NEW ZEALANDERS STATED THAT NPW ISSUE GIVES THEM POLITICAL DIFFICULTY BEFORE ELECTIONS THIS YEAR, AND THAT GONZ NOT IN POSITION TO MAKE DECISION AT THIS TIME BUT HOPE TO DO SO BY END OF YEAR. NEW ZEALANDERS ALSO SAID THAT GONZ COMMITTED TO BEGIN WORKING TOWARD ESTABLISHMENT OF SPNFZ, BUT DID NOT BELIEVE PROPOSAL WOULD GO AS FAR AS TO EMBARRASS ALLIES. US SIDE ASKED FOR MOST COMPLETE CONSULTATION BEFORE GONZ GOES PUBLIC WITH ANY PROPOSAL. NEW ZEALAND SIDE SAID THIS WELL UNDERSTOOD, BUT THAT GONZ MUST BE “SEEN TO BE MOVING” TOWARD THIS IDEAL. GONZ FONSEC CORNER SAID NEW ZEALAND PLANS INTRODUCE RESOLUTION AT NEXT UNGA ASKING FOR STUDY OF SPNFZ.

6. DURING SESSION ON REGIONAL COOPERATION, NEW ZEALAND PROPOSED A BROADENING OF THE PURPOSES OF THE ANZUS ALLIES BEYOND MILITARY SECURITY TO COOPERATION FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF OTHER STATES IN THE REGION. NEW ZEALANDERS DID NOT ENVISION ANY NEW ORGANIZATIONAL FORMS, BUT RATHER A COMMON APPROACH. NEW ZEALANDERS FELT THAT US POLICY IN ASIA FOR PAST 10 YEARS HAS OVER-EMPHASIZED MILITARY ELEMENT, AND THAT TIME HAS COME FOR DIFFERENT BALANCE. AT ONE POINT, FAULKNER SPOKE OF DESIRABILITY OF A QUOTE MARSHALL PLAN FOR ASIA UNQUOTE. AFTER NOTING OUR MAJOR PROGRAMS OF ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE, US SIDE EXPRESSED READINESS DISCUSS THIS THROUGH NORMAL DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS, BUT ADDED THAT WE SHOULD NOT LOSE SIGHT OF PRIMARY PURPOSE OF ANZUS.

7. AUSTRALIAN SIDE SAID PROMPT ACTION NEEDED IF NPT IS TO SURVIVE; NOTED LIKELY CRITICISM OF VERTICAL PROLIFERATION AT REVIEW CONFERENCE AND SAID RESTRAINT BY GREAT POWERS WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHERS; SAID THRESHOLD TEST BAN NOT EFFECTIVE ARMS CONTROL MEASURE AND THAT COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN DESIRABLE; REVIVED PROPOSAL FOR INTERNATIONAL PNE SERVICE; AND RAISED POSSIBILITY THAT NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATES DECLARE THEY WOULD NOT USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGAINST NON-NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATES. NEW ZEALAND GENERALLY SUPPORTED AUSTRALIAN POSITION. US SIDE REBUTTED WITH STANDARD ARGUMENTS.

8. ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS, NEW ZEALAND SIDE NOTED THAT WHILE CURRENT PICTURE NOT BRIGHT, IT COULD BE MUCH WORSE, AND THERE ARE ENCOURAGING SIGNS OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION. FAULKNER AND CORNER SAID THAT “NEW ECONOMIC ORDER” SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, THAT IT REQUIRES NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS, AND THAT NEW ZEALAND FEARS THREAT AT GROWING CONFRONTATION BETWEEN UNDERDEVELOPED WORLD AND INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY US. AUSTRALIAN SIDE (SHAW) POINTED TO DIFFERENCE OF EMPHASIS BETWEEN AUS/NZ ON ONE HAND AND US ON OTHER; AUSTRALIA HAD SENSE OF URGENCY THAT UNDERDEVELOPED WORLD HAVE GREATER SHARE OF TRADE AND WEALTH. US SIDE EXPRESSED CONCERN AT EFFECT OF WIDELY FLUCTUATING PRICES ON UNDER-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, AND NOTED THAT US PURSUING REAPPRAISAL OF POSITION ON COMMODITY AGREEMENTS, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN PAST.

9. WE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR AUSTRALIAN AND NZ EFFORTS TO HELP RELOCATE AND RESETTLE VIET-NAM REFUGEES. SAID US WOULD NOT EXPECT TO TAKE ALL THE REFUGEES FROM VIET-NAM AND THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR US IF OUR ANZUS ALLIES DID NOT DO THEIR SHARE IN RESPONDING TO APPROACHES FROM INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE IN FINANCING AND IN RESETTLING REFUGEES.

10. WE WILL SEND FOLLOW UP CABLES ON ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS OF SPECIAL INTEREST. MORE DETAILED REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS WILL BE POUCHED TO ADDRESSEES.

11. FYI: AGREEMENT ON COMMUNIQUÉ (SEPTEL) REQUIRED SOME NEGOTIATION, DUE PRIMARILY TO NEW ZEALAND CONCERNS ABOUT LANGUAGE ON INDOCHINA AND ON NEED FOR NEW WORLD ECONOMIC ORDER. END FYI. KISSINGER

1. Source: National Archives, Record Group 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Priority. Repeated for information to Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Geneva, USUN New York, Vientiane, Jakarta, Port Moresby, London, Paris, Manila, Tokyo and CINCPAC. Drafted by Michaud, officer for the ANZUS desk; and approved by Zurhellen. The memorandum of conversation recounting Kissinger’s remarks at the afternoon session of April 24 is ibid., P–820125–0600.
2. The telegram described the ANZUS Council meeting held in Washington on April 24 and 25.