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CONFIDENTIAL
DSR 11C
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8.
It is therefore in our interests to press the
Japanese privately about their defence spending during
discussions with them, but not to make our démarches public.
The Americans have found it increasingly difficult to get
any increase in Japanese defence expenditure and we should
not lose credit by trying publicly to do the same to no
avail. The Japanese must be edged towards a greater resp-
onsibility in defence matters which they are beginning to
do themselves as a result of the factors mentioned above, and because of their direct vulnerability on on any interruptia in
the imports of raw materials and oil, which was brought home
to them by the 1973 oil crisis and subsequent price increases.
(of course one should add the caveat that if Japan did
spend much more on defence they might well challenge the
very lucrative arms exports orders of the US /and France in
Ruid
markets).
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Uki
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CONFIDENTIAL
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