WASHINGTON: Secretary of State William Rogers said ... the expulsion of Taiwan from the United Nations would harm the world organisation but the United States accepted it has the will of the majority. Mr. Rogers ... expressed deep regret over the General Assembly vote, but at the same time he said the decision to admit the People’s Republic of China was consistent with US policy to ease tension in the Pacific. Mr. Rogers said that the American defence commitment to Taiwan was to remain unaffected. He declared that the Nixon Administration would not support any move in Congress to cut US contributions to the United Nations as a result of the China vote, as threatened by a group of Senators.

He appealed to indicate that ousting of Taiwan from the UN was now a closed chapter and that the Nixon Administration intended to move ahead with efforts to reach accommodation with Peking. Mr Rogers rejected suggestions that the United States had not put up a strong enough fight to keep Taiwan as a member. ... Mr Rogers voiced the opinion that the visit of the White House Adviser Henry Kissinger to Peking last week to discuss arrangements for President Nixon’s own trip to China had not swayed the United Nations vote one way or another. — News agencies

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2021