CYPHER/CAT A ·
CONFIDENTIAL
Ws File R
TOKYO TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
IMMEDIATE
TELNO 655
10 NOVEMBER 1969
LACT
CONFIDENTIAL.
“
328
NEX
[NEUTRAL]
REF.
332
RIEVED IN
RG PYN 51
13 NOV 1969
•
*6/304/1
330
HKK6/304/1
ADDRESSED TO F C O TELEGRAM NO 655 OF 10 NOVEMBER REPEATED FOR INFORMATION PRIORITY TO WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG AND SEQUL.
MY TELEGRAM NO 652: TEXTILES.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS BUREAU IN MINISTRY OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TSURUMI, TOLD COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR ON 10 NOVEMBER THAT THE JAPANESE MINISTER IN WASHINGTON, YOSHINO, HAD CALLED ON TREZISE AT THE END OF LAST WEEK AND LEFT WITH HIM AN AIDE MEMOIRE AMPLIFYING AND CONFIRMING WHAT THE JAPANESE MINISTER FOR
INTERNATIONAL TADE AND INDUSTRY, OHIRA, HAD SAID TO TREZISE IN TOKYO (292) 292) LAST MONTH (MY TELEGRAM 611, PARA 2). THE MAIN POINTS OF THE AIDE
MEMOIRE APPEARED TO BE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) THE JAPANESE APPROACH WAS THAT THE TEXTILE PROBLEM WAS NOT
A BILATEPHAL MATTER BUT A MULTILATERAL QUESTION FOR POSSIBLE DISCUSSION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE G. A.T.T.
(B) THE JAPANESE WERE NOT YET CONVINCED ABOUT THE ALLEGED DAMAGE
TO THE UNITED STATES TEXTILE INDUSTRY FROM INCREASED IMPORTS. EVEN
IF FURTHER EVIDENCE WERE PRODUCED THEY WOULD NOT BE PREPARED TO
CONSIDER A COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT BUT ONLY SELECTIVE RESTRICTIONS. (C) IF THE UNITED STATES WISHED TO PURSUE THE MATTER THEY SHOULD
TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN CALLING A MULTILATERAL MEETING IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE G. A.T.T.
2. ACCORDING TO TSURUMI, TREZISE REPLIED THAT THE UNITED STATES
MIGHT BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER CALLING A MULTILATERAL MEETING BUT
THEY FIRST WANTED BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MAIN EXPORTING
COUNTRIES INCLUDING JAPAN. INDEED THEY WANTED SUCH A MEETING
BEFORE THE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SAW PRESIDENT NIXON NEXT WEEK. TREZISE ADDED THAT THE AMERICANS HAD MADE A SIMILAR REQUEST FOR
BILATERAL TALKS WITH KOREA, TAIWAN AND HONG KONG AND HE CLAIMED THAT TALKS HAD BEGUN WITH KOREA.
3. TSURUMI SAID THAT THE JAPANESE SIDE MIGHT BE PREPARED TO
HOLD SOME BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE AMERICANS SHORTLY BUT
ONLY ON HOW AND WHEN A MULTILATERAL MEETING MIGHT BE HELD AND THE
CONFIDENTIAL
/AGENDA