78-09-B1

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Asia

Transcript An executive with what must be the world's biggest news agency recently made a trip to Asia where, because of his position, he met with government officials, industrial leaders, publishers and others able to contribute sound views on the countries he visited. He has returned with information that does not always jibe with the doctrinaire views we get from diplomats and some commentators who often see things only in the light of their own bias. He was protected against indoctrination by the variety of his contacts; he could check the things he gathered from one source against the views of others. He told me that he found, as I had this spring, an almost universal anxiety over our foreign policy. Everyone in South Korea was convinced that North Korea would attack if the United States presence was reduced. He was astounded to learn from qualified sources in detailed briefings that North Korea is capable of producing its own armor. Also that most of its artillery is concentrated in hardened positions along the demilitarized zone, capable of shelling Seoul and the surrounding area in which is located most of South Koreas industry. In all of his contacts in Korea he found no hostility toward the United States. He also found. a resolve on the part of the people to counter communism at any cost. That's a little contrary to the view we're so often given that South Koreans are unhappy with their own leaders. The two questions he was asked most often were: --QUOTE-- "What must we do to show you that we are your true friends? and, "Doesn't your President know that a Communist attack on South Korea will eventually engulf all of Asia?"--UNQUOTE--. His next stop was Taiwan where he met with many of the same officials I had met with, plus others in business and the press. He came away with a feeling that many on Taiwan felt that we could pursue closer relations with the mainland of China without renouncing our close ties with the free Republic of China. Our State department should discover that. He found, as we did on our visit, that the Chinese on Taiwan are hard working and very proud of their economic achievements and their constant progress toward more democratic government. Being there on an election day he visited polling places and watched not only the voting but the counting of ballots. He suggests we might have a few precincts in some of our own cities where that wouldn't be possible. On Taiwan he ran into one frequently repeated question, namely, "Why must you slap your friends in the face while kowtowing to those who have never shown their friendship toward you." --UNQUOTE--. Do any of us have an answer to that? The windup on Taiwan was his briefing on "intelligence operations". Mainland Chinese manage to get hundreds of reports a week over to Taiwan on conditions in Red China. Some are written by members of the military. All present a picture quite different from the canned tour Americans are given when they visit Peking. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.		Details Batch Number 78-09-B1 Production Date 06/27/1978 Book/Page RPtV-322 Audio Youtube? No
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