CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE TOKYO
TELEGRAM NO.652
CONFIDENTIAL.
NEUTRAL.
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
HILI(6/306/1
13 NOV 1969 RGISTRY Nɔ.51
RECEIVED IN
NOVEMBER 1969.
щчё
328
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 667:
TEXTILES.
FINANCIAL TIMES STORY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A STRAIGHT LIFT FROM
JAPAN TIMES ARTICLE OF 5 NOVEMBER. THIS REPORTED CHIRA AS SAYING
THAT QUOTE HE INTENDED TO FINALISE THE JAPANESE POSITION ON
THE QUESTION OF THE PROPOSED VOLUNTARY CONTROLS ON JAPANESE TEXTILE
EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES BEFORE THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT
TO WASHINGTON LATER THIS MONTH UNQUOTE.
2.
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN OF THE SAME DAY GAVE A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT
VERSION OF CHIRA'S REMARK: QUOTE WE WOULD LIKE TO DECIDE ON THE
CUTLINE, AT LEAST, IN ORDER TO SETTLE THE PROBLEM BEFORE PRIME
MINISTER SATO'S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. BUT THIS IS A DIFFICULT
PROBLEM UNQUOTE.
3. TODAY'S NIHON KE IZAI AND JAPAN TIMES STATE THAT THE JAPANESE
GOVERNMENT WILL REPLY FORMALLY TO THE UNITED STATES ACCEPTING TALKS
ON THE BASIS OF ARTICLE 22 OF G.A.T.T. SUCH TALKS HOWEVER MUST
BE ON A MULTI-LATERAL RATHER THAN BILATERAL BASIS AND THE JAPANESE
REPLY WILL ADD THAT THE IDEA OF CONCLUDING A COMPREHENSIVE
AGREEMENT COVERING ALL KINDS OF WOOLLENS AND MAN-MADE FIBRES IS NOT
ACCEPTABLE.
A
4. TODAY'S PRESS REPORTS SUGGEST THAT THE JAPANESE POSITION
REMAINS THE SAME AS THAT TAKEN BY CHIKA IN TALKS WITH TRESIZE IN
(292) TOKYO LAST MONTH (MY TELNO 611 PARA 2) AND THAT THE JAPANESE
REMA IN ANXIOUS TO SEPARATE THE TEXTILE PROBLEM FROM THE OKINAWA
ISSUE.
5.
WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT WITH ANY SENIOR
LAST
REF.
NEXT
327
CONFIDENTIAL
/OFFICIAL
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