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(He also
that Japan would look seriously at this new scheme. said incidentally that Japan was looking into the possibilities
When Dr Mochtar of taking more refugees into Japan itself). raised the same subject later with Mr Sonoda, stressing that the refugee centre would not provide a permanent home for the refugees and giving more detail about ASEAN's plans for describing their scheme this month to the UNHCR and then to a meeting to be convened in Geneva by the UNHCR, Sonoda had been rather more forthcoming. He had said that Japan could not promise a financial contribution until ASEAN was able to show firm plans for the centre, but that as soon as this stage was reached Japan would do what it could. Japan would be ready to send a representative to the Geneva meeting if it came off. Dr Mochtar said that it would take five years to deal with the exodus of refugees from Indo-China.
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5. Apart from the refugee question, the main issues covered in the Mochtar/Sonoda talks were Japan/ASEAN relations, the fighting in Vietnam and Cambodia and bilateral Japan/Indonesia issues. Sonoda repeated Mr Ohira's message that neither the change of administration in Japan nor the Japan/China Treaty had in any way reduced Japanese interest in ASEAN. The concept of a Pan-Pacific community was far from being concrete and the wishes of ASEAN would be taken into account if the idea was further developed. Mr Ohira would explain his own thinking on this and other points personally to ASEAN representatives as soon as possible. (I asked when this was likely to be. Hirabayashi said that there was a chance that Ohira would go to Manila for UNCTAD in May, depending on the intentions of other heads of government Sonoda would probably go anyway but if not then, Ohira would try to make an early opportunity for meeting ASEAN leaders thereafter). Japan would continue their policy of stressing the importance of ASEAN in talking to other governments, and Sonoda said that he had for example spoken in these terms to Deng Xiaoping. Sonoda said that he had also rebuked Deng for his remarks about Chinese aid to communist guerillas in South East Asia during his recent tour of the region. Sonoda told Mr Mochtar that in economic terms Japan's relations with ASEAN were more important than Japan's relations with China. Japan would keep close to the ASEAN countries in international discussion, for example at UNCTAD and on the North South problem. Sonoda has been invited to meet ASEAN foreign ministers immediately after their meeting in Bali on 19/21 June (this will just give him time to get back to Tokyo before the Summit).
6. Discussing the situation in Indo-China, Sonoda commended the joint statement issued by ASEAN countries after the Chinese incursion into Vietnam. (This statement had apparently been the result of an initiative by Dr Mochtar himself). The Japanese view of the situation was identical and Japan would like to cooperate. Japan had incurred some criticism from China for
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