Commenting on what may be expected in the wake of Ho Chi Minh, the English-language China News said September 7 that Hanoi may be more influenced by Moscow than by Peiping.
The paper said: "Both Peiping and Moscow are deeply interested in the shape of events to come in North Vietnam with the passing of Ho Chi Minh.
"The Chinese Communists have been consistently hawkish on the Vietnam war. They opposed the Paris peace talks and have urged Hanoi to continue fighting until the last American is thrown into the sea.
"Russia has not played the role of dove but has never been as bellicose as Peiping. Nevertheless, the bulk of North Vietnam's weaponry and other logistical needs comes from the U.S.S.R. and not from the Chinese mainland.
"If North Vietnam is to be influenced for either war or peace in the post-Ho era, the decisive push is far more likely to come from Moscow than from Peiping.
"In the long run, the war is bound to grind to a halt. The Communists can't win it and the Americans have decided not to. But the process of termination will be slow and the timing will accord with South Vietnamese takeover of combat responsibility.
"Ho Chi Minh's demise will not be as decisive as American and South Vietnamese determination to see the conflict through to an honorable ending."
Commenting on Kosygin's visit to Peiping, the Ta Chung Jih Pao (Everybody's Daily) said September 15 that Moscow had won the struggle for control of Hanoi.
The paper said: "The will of Ho Chi Minh shows that the Viet Cong have been betraying the Chinese Communists. Chinese Communist 'premier' Chou En-lai found this out when he went to Hanoi. His abrupt departure was a show of anger.
"Ho Chi Minh's betrayal of Peiping has given Moscow the upper hand in the Vietnam war. Kosygin's visit to Peiping was to reaffirm Peiping's defeat and try to make amends. However, the anti-Russian sentiment of Peiping will be strengthened, not weakened."
New Life Daily News - Defense of Thailand
The Hsin Sheng Pao (New Life Daily News) said August 22 that U.S. withdrawal of forces from Thailand must be delayed.
The paper said: "If Washington is now to continue withdrawing forces from Vietnam, the talks on pullout of U.S. Air Force and logistical support units in Thailand are not necessary.
"President Nixon has declared these conditions for U.S. withdrawal: (1) When there is progress in the Paris peace talks, (2) when the South Vietnam military is strong enough and (3) when the enemy de-escalates' the war. The stalemate in the Paris peace talks has not been broken. South Vietnamese forces are not yet ready to take over the U.S. role. Enemy activities increased recently.
"No matter what Washington does, the Communists will increase political and military pressure and acts of blackmail so the United States will not be able to make peace.
"It is reported that Peiping has offered more military assistance to Hanoi and suggested that the North Vietnamese take a tougher stand in negotiations with the United States. The Chinese Communists want to reduce Russian influence in Hanoi and escalate the Vietnam war.
"U.S. withdrawals from Vietnam have not brought about progress at Paris or persuaded the Viet Cong to de-escalate. This is not the proper time for the United States to talk of pulling troops out of Thailand. U.S. forces there provide a second line of defense that can prevent another Vietnam war and help the Thais combat Communist subversion.
"Asians can assume responsibility for themselves and solve their own problems only when adequate defense capability has led to an effective alliance. The United States should not adopt a new Asian policy without considering its consequences."
The Lien Ho Pao (United Daily News) said August 26 that the United States is breaking its promises to Thailand.
The paper said: "Thailand's decision to open talks' on a reduction in the number of American troops there is the result of U.S. reneging on the U.S.-Thai military contingency plan.
"U.S. Defense Secretary Melvin Laird said the plan is not a treaty, is not an agreement and is not binding. Thailand regards this as a renunciation of U.S. commitments.
"The U.S.-Thai contingency plan is purely strategic arid has to be kept secret. The agreement is not political and does not require approval of the U.S. Congress.
"If U.S. Congressional pressure can force Washington to undermine the U.S.-Thai defense treaty, then the 43 other countries that have defense pacts with the United States are going to be apprehensive. The same thing might happen to any of them."
The Chung Yang Jih Pao (Central Daily News) warned September 17 against going too far in U.S. troop withdrawals.
The paper said: "President Nixon's announcement of a new withdrawal of 35,000 American troops from Vietnam indicates that Vietnamization of the war is succeeding. North Vietnam is losing 4 to 5 men to every 1 lost by the Allies. Vietnamization of the war and continued or even intensified air attacks raise North Vietnamese casualties still higher. An honorable peace can be won if U.S. troop withdrawals are not too drastic."
China Times - No risk of retreat
The Chung Kuo Shih Pao (China Times) said August 22 that U.S. hopes for peace should not extend to the point of irrationality.
The paper said: "U.S. Secretary of State William P. Rogers said the United States will take 'sensible risks' to bring peace to Vietnam and that Washington will not consider a two China policy.
"Washington may be dreaming of the day when Peiping and Moscow' will become enemies on the battlefield and thinking that Peiping then will have to befriend the United States.
"However, Mao may follow in Russian footsteps and attempt to expel U.S. influence from Southeast Asia before a showdown with the Soviet.
"On the other hand, if Russia gets rid of Mao before the Vietnam war ends, there would be no need for coexistence with the United States.
"U.S. risks for peace must not be taken in the form of concessions, appeasement or retreat. They must be taken in the cause of liberating Asian peoples now enslaved by Communism."
The Chung Hua Jih Pao (China Daily News) said September 9 that appeasement of Peiping is straining U.S. relations with Russia.
The paper said: "Sentiment for appeasement of Peiping is current in the Republican Party and the Nixon administration. This' is contrary to the Republican Party's philosophy enunciated by President Lincoln, who said the world could not exist half free and half slave.
"Appeasement of Peiping has offended the Russians. This is apparent in Russian declination to help end the Vietnam war and in lack of enthusiasm for nuclear disarmament talks with Washington."
The Hsin Sheng Pao said September 4 that President Nixon's new strategy for peace should lead toward increased Asian security.
The paper said: "President Nixon has said his new strategy for peace means maintaining defense forces strong enough to keep the peace while not allowing wasteful expenditures to drain away resources needed for U.S. domestic programs. He said the United States would help other free nations maintain their security but would not rush in to do for them what they can and should do for themselves. The new peace strategy is based on a long-range concept of global significance.
"U.S. military and economic assistance to foreign countries since World War II has won many friendships. American maintenance of formidable nuclear capability has decreased the possibility of another world war. In the present stage of the cold war, Nixon's expansion of negotiations in seeking peace provides a new basis for U.S. foreign policy and gives hope to the democracies.
"The Chinese Communists have called the United States their archenemy and have made preparations for war with the 'American imperialists and. Russian revisionists'. It is unwise for the United States to adopt a new Asian policy that involves wishful thinking about the Chinese Communists.
"In limiting commitments abroad, the United States should first help establish a collective security structure in Asia. If the United States is to continue withdrawing forces from Vietnam and Thailand, Peiping will take advantage of the vacuum to cause more trouble. Nixon's new strategy for peace should lead to an increase of security and not to more chaos."
China News - Tension in Korea
Commenting on tension in Korea, the China News said August 31 that North Korea may be planning renewed invasion of the south in 1970.
The paper said: "North Korea, learned its international behavior at the feet of the Russian and Chinese Communists and has turned out to be an apt pupil.
"In the Pueblo case, the Korean Communists finally released the crew after a U.S. admission of misconduct that was palpably false.
"Having gotten away with that, the Pyongyang regime shot down an American intelligence plane over international waters. That time the North Koreas were left with no American lives with which to blackmail Washington and received no U.S. apology. There was, however, no American reprisal.
"Now the Korean Reds have shot down an unarmed American helicopter that strayed across the Demilitarized Zone, quite possibly because the Koreans had laid a trap by moving border markers.
"At first Pyongyang merely screamed of aggression and refused to say whether the three crewmen were dead or alive. At last came the admission that the three were alive but injured, two of them seriously, and the customary demand that the United States humble itself in order to get the men back.
"Washington probably will come through with another Pueblo-style apology that incorporates a denial of the admission of wrongdoing and the fliers will be returned.
"The Pyongyang extremes of aggressive conduct are not without reason. North Korea is increasingly restive. Among the people there is deep laid sentiment for Korean reunification and not on Communist terms.
"The North Koreans seemed to be doing fairly well economically during the late 1950s but that was when Moscow and Peiping were interested in extending some help. During the 1960s, the Pyongyang regime has been largely on its own and growth has slowed down. Communism is taking its inevitable toll of both industry and agriculture.
"Like Mao Tse-tung, the North Korean dictator, Kim Il Sung, is compelled to export his country's dissatisfaction. The United States is not the only target. There is also border growling at the Chinese Communists. Relations with the Soviet Union have improved somewhat but could not be called warm.
"North Korea is a dangerous, unpredictable neighbor. President Park Chung Hee has warned that the Korean Communists may be planning renewed invasion of the south in 1970. That is not necessarily a propaganda pitch in the hope of obtaining more U.S. military assistance.
"Kim Il Sung sent a commando band south early in 1968 in an attempt to assassinate President Park and other leaders of the Republic of Korea. The Communists are still trying to get a 'people's war' started in the south. Communist acts of violence in the DMZ are almost daily occurrences.
"North Korea has MIG21s. It is welcome news, therefore, that the United States has delivered six F4D Phantom jet fighter-bombers to the South Korean Air Force and will hand over 12 more before the end of the year. The North Koreans may not be more bellicose than the Chinese Communists but Taiwan has an early-warning system based on 100 miles of water between this island and the mainland.
"The DMZ is only 2 1/2 miles wide and the South Koreans need alI the protection they can get."
New Life Daily News - Moscow and Peiping
Commenting on Moscow-Peiping border clashes, the Hsin Sheng Pao (New Life Daily News) said August 18 that the free world should unite against Communism.
The paper said: "Agreement over Ussuri-Amur River navigation indicates that neither Moscow nor Peiping wants war. However, there has been another border incident in Sinkiang.
"Mao Tse-tung knows his nuclear weaponry is far behind that of the Russians and Americans. When he has a delivery system and few war heads, he will be able to blackmail the free world with threat of blitzkrieg. Mao is prepared to sacrifice half of the mainland people in nuclear war. The 'cultural revolution' did not slow down Chinese Communist nuclear armament. Russian moves toward Sinkiang threaten Mao's nuclear arsenal in the Lop Nor area.
"Peiping fears that the Russians may try to destroy its nuclear installations and seize the uranium deposits in Sinkiang. Mao is not ready to face the Russians in war. However, he will intensify anti-Soviet political warfare and propaganda.
"Moscow-Peiping clashes may become more violent. But Mao and the Kremlin share the hope of communizing the free world and a life or death struggle between the two is not foreseeable in the near future. The free nations should unite to prevent further Communist infiltration."
Commenting on the same subject, the Min Tzu Evening News said August 17 that Moscow-Peiping fighting is not mere border skirmishing.
The paper said: "It is unlikely that Moscow-Peiping clashes on the Sinkiang border will develop into a major war. However, this is not merely frontier skirmishing but a continuation of political struggle within the Communist camp.
"Russia wants to whip up anti-Mao uprisings on the Chinese mainland. Peiping will use the border clash as an excuse to wipe out pro-Russian elements in Chinese Communism.
"Moscow and Peiping share fear that the free world might seize the opportunity to deal a blow to Communism. Unfortunately, the West views the frontier fighting as just another incident and does nothing."