Whether I meet Mr Cookson's criteria for a "Maoist" I do not know, nevertheless I would like to answer his question: Why did the Chinese turn up at Malaysia's national day celebration. (Salient. September 11, 1974)

A more reasonable question than Mr Cook-son's, I believe, is this: why shouldn't the Chinese turn up at the function? It is normal practice for two countries with diplomatic relations to attend the other's national day celebration. Considerable stress in state relations would be necessary before one country boycotted the other's national day celebrations.

Diplomatic relations between a socialist country and a capitalist country in no way implies approval for each other's internal regime. All that is involved is state-to-state relations. If it were really unprincipled for the Chinese to attend Malaysia's function, it would be equally unprincipled for them to attend New Zealand's diplomatic functions. Both countries are under the dictatorship of bourgeoisie, even if in New Zealand it takes the form of parliamentary democracy and in Malaysia a form of fascism.

Is Mr Cookson actually calling for China to break its diplomatic relations with capitalist and imperialist countries? Why should a socialist country withdraw from the area of diplomatic struggle against these countries? When a socialist country enters into diplomatic relations with these countries, it in no way implies that it has ceased to support revolutionary and progressive movements in them.

Most importantly, when such relations are opened it is no way incumbent on revolutionary and progressive movements in the capitalist and imperialist countries to cease their struggle against their ruling classes. In fact, the Chinese insist that their foreign policy is China's and that revolutionaries in other countries are in no way required to follow it. In the Chinese view, the revolutionaries in other countries should integrate Marxism-Leninism with the concrete realities of their own country if they are to carry out a revolution. In particular, if there is to be a revolution in Malaysia and New Zealand it must be the work of the peoples in those countries.

If progressive people give up their struggle because China has opened diplomatic relations with their country, then they demonstrate nothing more than their own low political consciousness.

As to Mr Cookson's anonymous "Maoist" who, according to his story, was embarrassed by the attendance of representatives of the People's Republic of China at Malaysia's national day celebration while there was a demonstration out-side, all I will say is this: If this "Maoist" actually exists, and if Mr Cookson is not misrepresenting his or her remarks, then on this question he or she is being as big an ass as Mr Cookson and his fellow Trotskyist gentlemen are on all political questions.