CASTRO ON CHINA

reprisal for political reasons’

REMIER Fidel Castro of Cuba, in

a two-page statement appearing in

-  & special editorial of Granma, or-

&an of the central committee of the Com-

“Munist Party of Cuba, charged that

China's action in cutting rice exports

to Cuba was “a reply in the form of a

brutal reprisal of an economic nature
for clearly political reasons.”

As a result of China's action, the
N government was forced to re-
duce the monthly rice ration for indi-
Viduals from six pounds to three
Pounds.

“We do not blame the Chinese gov-
emment exclusively for the reduction
this ration,” said Castro. “The res-
Ponsibility in the first place falls on
the Yankee imperialists who imposed
aeroegnomic blockade om us; in the
s€Cond place, on the government
China for having in fect joined this
; and in the third place on
Ourselves, for having believed in the
internationalist spirit of the Chinese
£0vernment.”

Castro was scathing in his denuncia-

lion of the way the Chinese govera-

FI

nists had used “an “obscure and un-

Se functionary of the Ministry of

Oreign Trade to call the Cuban pre-
@ liar.

Two things must be said at the out-
~ Set, Said Castro:
~,_ “First, that this form of procedure
indicates great hypocrisy, because
Such statements can only emanate

from the highest levels of the Chinese
Eovernment F :

“Second, that besides being dis-
ponent, this procedure reveals a feel-
ed of contempt for other nations be-

“Se it is equivalent to saying that
Statements by the prime minister ef 2
‘mall country, even when the problem

being discussed seriously affects that

country, only deserve the reply of a
feel and anonymous functionary of
Chia ety of Foreign Trade of

“We will not use such hypocritical
ther contemptuous procedures because
tinourn ot OUF habit nor do we dis-
Gane ‘between big and small na-

» Neith i H
ing ah either with regard to defend
Tegard to the respect we owe
Other nations whatever ma
, y be the
Consequences. :

goes attitude of the Chinese gov-
"ment goes beyond the limits of a
ton based strictly on figures and

facts related to trade. Having reached |

ah point it is almost useless to argue
the}, t these facts and figures. Never-
as — the statements and conclusions
with which the Chinese government
€eks to defend its position on this
Point must not remain unanswered.”

Boeay went into great detail on the
real dispute, citing figures relating to
usin imports from China, instead of
Sb figures on the lists of the proto-
pate the Chinese had done. He com-

on China’s “contempt for re-

dignity of our own country nor |

\

Guantaname’

‘These methods end procedures were exactly the some as these used
by the U.S. Embessy in eur country when it tried to interfere in the intemal
effeirs of Cube end in ene way or another impose its will en the nation.’

ality” in this regard.
China cut its rice exports te Cuba
without previous discussion or warn-

ing, at a time when Cube was pot in

a position to buy rice in other markets,
said Castro.

“The government. of China cannot

be unaware of the fact that in the years 0t do so. It is precisely that govern-_

1962, 1963 and 1964, Cuba was also
supplied from other markets; that with

many of these possible suppliers we— tempt for our small country, that gnation, our protest

‘are encountering growing difficulties
of a political nature as a result of the

Yankee blockade; that no country in.

Latin America, except Mexico, trades
with Cuba; that those who hed not
broken off trade, like Uruguay and
others, did so after the OAS agree-

_ ment decreed by Yankee imperialism

at the consultative meeting held in
Washington in July, 1964. At that
‘time, measures were taken against
Cuba which was accused of having
sent armS to the Venezuelan revolu-
tionaries and, consequently, those coun-

tries were forced to break diplomatic, —

conevier aed trade relations with eur
3 antry.” . .

Cuba spoke of the Chinese argument
that China, although it had harvested
a bumper crop, needed to create re-

perves of rice to be prepared in case

ef a U.S. aggression.

“Ie Cuba rot running risks of U.S.
aggression equal to, or greater than,
those run by the People’s Republic of
China?” he asked. “And in the midst
of an aggression, how could Jood sup-

plies reach our coasts, thousands of

miles away from any country of the
socialist camp? By what means and
across what frontiers could Cuba be
supplied?

“According to the Chinese govern-

ment’s concept of international duty, |

it is obvious that a country like ours,
weaker militarily, more vulnerable to
aggression, does not have the right to
maintain a modest ration which, in the
face of the U.S. imperialist blockade,
it has been obliged to establish.”

Referring to the fact that it was pre-
cisely on the eve of the Tricontinental
Conference that China carried out “a
criminal act of economic aggression”
against Cuba by cutting rice exports,
Castro continued:

“The Chinese government could not

“What we are going te say now we

could have said on January 2 to ex-

plain the motive of the Chinese gov-
ernment’s conduct. Hewever we did

ment, with its perfidy, its. hypocrisy,
its malevolent insinuations and its con-

obliges us to do 90 now.
3 “Three months before the opening of
the trade talks, on Sept. 14, 1965, at

charge d'affaires of the Peoples Repub-
lic of China to discuss matters which
_ in our opinion were extremely grave.

garding the prerogatives which, as a
sovereign country, pertain exclusively
to our government.

“The position of the geverament of

Cuba hed been expressed very clearly —

on Masch 13, 1965, at the University,
where we also made very clear our
Opinion on the division ia the socialist

Castro, after quoting the salient
points from his March 13 speech, went
on:

“In spite of this absolutely clear po-
sition, an unmistakable expression of
the will of our people, and the line we
intend to follow, the Chinese govern-
ment increased the massive shipment
and distribution of propaganda ma-
terial in our country, both directly
from China and through its diplomatic
representatives.

“On Sept. 12, the Ministry of the Re-
volutionary Armed Forces reported
that a massive distribution of this ma-

what

terial was being carried out systema-
tically among the officers of the Revo
hationary Armed Forces of Cuba by the
representatives of the Chinese govera-
sensatives tried to make direct contact
with Cuban officers and in some cases
went so far as to approach officers in
an apparent attempt to personally at-
tract them, either to convert them ox
perhaps to obtaim information.

ameng numerous civilian state

“That was the reason why on Sept.
34 we had to express in the most ener:
getic terms, to the charge d'affaires of
the People’s Republic of China, since
its Ambassador was absent, our ingi-

and our

that such activiti
plete clarity we telé the representative

of the Chinese goverament that these

to interfere im the internal affairs of
Cuba and in one way or another im-
pose its will om the nation; that our

away to impose upon us similar prac-
tices.”

propaganda
Cuba.” In all, 58,061 bulletins arrived.

blackmail, extort, pressure, attack and
strangle small couatries; whether in the
world of tornorrow, which revolutione-
ries are fighting te achieve, there will
continue to prevail the worst methods
of piracy, oppression and fiilibusterism,
which slave and feudal societies, abso-
lute monarchies, bourgeois states and,
in the contemporary world, imperialist
states, have imposed upon the world
ever since class societies existed.”

oF
mate "

March 4, 1966—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 5

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