240. Letter From the Australian Ambassador (Renouf) to President Carter1
Australia’s Prime Minister, Mr Malcolm Fraser, has asked me to convey the following message to you:
“My dear Jimmy,
I thought I should write to tell you in general terms about my participation in what I see as an historic meeting between leaders of the ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines) and Australia, Japan and New Zealand, in Kuala Lumpur a few days ago.3
The meeting coincided with the 10th Anniversary of ASEAN and was the first occasion on which those five leaders had met as a group with Australia (and Japan and New Zealand). Indeed, it was only the second occasion on which the five had met amongst themselves, a fact which symbolizes the quickening pace and development of ASEAN as a vigorous regional organisation. The emergence of this new sense of purpose coincided with the communist victories in Vietnam, Laos and Kampuchea and it was clear at my meetings that the concern about threat from communism remains an underlying motivation of the Association. Nevertheless, they were at pains to hold firm to their publicly expressed line that ASEAN is not and should not be a security pact.
I found my discussions with the leaders very valuable. I was particularly pleased with the frank, positive and constructive manner in which they were prepared to look at substantive issues. In many ways it was not an easy meeting for Australia because the ASEAN countries were pressing in a very single-minded way for major trade and tariff concessions. I believe we were able to make some progress in allaying misapprehensions about future Australian trade policies and to reassure them that we were sincere in our declared intentions of working to enhance our economic relationship with them. They accepted the fact that the timing of positive steps would depend to a large extent on the continuing improvement in our domestic economic position, [Page 793] but more particularly on the effects which the policies of the major trading nations had on us.
In more immediate terms I was able to announce significant expansion in the size and an improvement in the quality of our aid programs to the area directed specifically to their plans for accelerated industrial development.
Throughout all my individual and joint meetings each of the leaders showed a deep interest and concern about the United States’ role in South East Asia. I would be less than frank with you if I were not to say that I detected a continuing note of puzzlement and lack of understanding of American policies. It was a puzzlement born of the different perceptions which countries of the region have of the American interest in their problems and a resultant ready capacity to misconceive intentions. Your policies towards Korea were a case in point. There is a special problem reflected in the near dilemma each of these countries have of wanting American strategic and political commitment to the area but not wanting it to be apparent. I was also a little surprised at the careful and precise way they have been examining recent United States statements on the region. From my own discussions with you I was able to reassure them in both a general and a particular way about the continuity and commitment of U.S. policies in the region. It is, nevertheless, a matter at which we will need to continue to work.
Throughout the meetings there were many references to the forthcoming talks between ASEAN and United States officials.4 The ASEAN countries obviously regard this meeting as very important. They are taking it very seriously. It is difficult, and possibly not for me, to advise you precisely on what action is required. In general terms, however, the one thing I am sure of is that they are looking for greater understanding and concern from the major industrial powers of their problems, in particular, their need for improved markets for their labour-intensive and manufactured products.
My only other thought is to suggest that although the ASEAN countries see the talks as mainly economic, our own experience suggests that inevitably there will be a need to touch on the broader political considerations. Indeed the talks could provide a useful opportunity for the United States to express its broad support for ASEAN and to clear up some of the misunderstandings that are still apparent.
Andrew Peacock is also planning to write to Cyrus Vance about a matter which arose in my talks with Mr Fukuda, concerning mutual concern we have about the attraction which New Zealand is apparently [Page 794] finding in proposals made to it by the USSR to enter into joint venture fishing operations in the New Zealand 200 mile zone.
Naturally I have instructed Australian officials to brief your officials in greater detail about any of the above matters, if they so wish.
With my warmest good wishes,
Malcolm Fraser.”
Yours sincerely,
Ambassador
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron File, Box 4, Australia, 1977. Secret.↩
- Renouf handwrote the salutation.↩
- The second ASEAN summit was held August 4–5.↩
- September 8–10. See footnote 2, Document 237.↩