CONFIDENTIAL
?
CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY TOKYO ΤΟ FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
25 FEBRUARY 1970
TELNO. 136
CONFIDENTIAL
[NEUTRAL]
ADDRESSED TO F C O TELEGRAM NO. 136 OF 25 FEBRUARY
1970 REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO WASHINGTON, GENEVA, HONG KONG, SEOUL AND TAMSUI.
M.I.P.T.
TEXTILES.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE ECONOMIC AFFAIRS BUREAU IN THE
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HIRAHA, TOLD COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR ON
25 FEBRUARY THAT THE JAPANESE NEWSPAPER REPORTS WERE SOMEWHAT
EXAGGERATED BUT REFLECTED FAIRLY ACCURATELY WHAT THE JAPANESE
AMBASSADOR HAD SAID. ALTHOUGH HE WOULD NOT SAY THAT THE JAPANESE
AMBASSADOR HAD BEEN FORMALLY AUTHORISED TO SOUND OUT THE AMERICANS
ON THIS PROPOSAL, HE SAID THAT IT REFLECTED THINKING WITHIN THE
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. THE MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE
AND INDUSTRY, AND STILL MORE JAPANESE INDUSTRY, HAD YET TO ACCEPT
THESE IDEAS AS A BASIS FOR A SETTLEMENT. HIRAHA SAID THAT THE
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WOULD BE WORKING ON MITI IN THE NEXT FEW
DAYS WITH THE VIEW TO GETTING THEM TO ACCEPT THIS APPROACH AS THE
ONLY WAY IN WHICH THIS PROBLEM COULD BE SOLVED.
2. COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR REFERRED TO A STATEMENT BY THE JAPANESE
PRIME MINISTER THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SETTLEMENT REACHED BEFORE
THE OPENING OF EXPO ON 15 MARCH. HIRAHA SAID THAT THIS WOULD BE VERY
DIFFICULT ALTHOUGH HE HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE AT LEAST TO
SEE THE OUTLINE OFA SETTLEMENT BY THEN. HE IMPLIED THAT THE
PRIME MINISTER WHILE NOT NECESSARILY ENDORSING EVERY DETAIL OF THE
JAPANESE AMBASSADOR'S IDEAS BELIEVED THAT A (SETTLEMENT ON THESE
LINES WOULD HAVE TO BE REACHED.
REGISTRY N.51
201 ว่า
HKG/2004/1
CONFIDENTIAL
/3.HIRAHA