LAST
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TT
FCO
TT HOÀNG KONG
II PEKT
GR 400
SECRET
TELELETTER
FROM J S WHITEHAD
TOKYO
020/15
DATED 5/12/93
FOLLOWING FOR
A E DONALD CMG
AUSS
F CO
5
CC
R J T MCLAREN,
HONG KONG
SIR P CRADDOCK KCMG
PEKING
HONG KONG : JAPANESE VIEWS
1. IN OUR SECRET AND PERSONAL TELEGRAM NUMBER 640 ABOUT HU YAO BANG'S
VISIT TO TOKYO AND HIS AND WU'S DISCUSSIONS WITH NAKASONE AND ABE ON
HONG KONG AT THAT TIME WE HAD ORIGINALLY INCLUDED A FINAL PARAGRAPH
WHICH, AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE AMBASSADOR, HE THOUGHT SHOULD BE
SENT SEPARATELY BY LETTER, THUS PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A LITTLE
MORE ELABORATION.
2. THE MISSING PARAGRAPH 6 READ : YOUR OWN INTERPRETATION OF
THESE ACCOUNTS IS THAT THEY PROBABLY GIVE A FAIR INDICATION OF WHAT
WAS ACTUALLY SAID IN SUBSTANCE. THERE IS NO CAUSE AT THIS STAGE FOR THE JAPANESE TO DO MUCH MORE THAN TO HEAR WHAT THE CHINESE HAVE TO SAY. BUT OUR ASSUMPTION IS THAT THEY ADOPT AN IMPLICITLY FAVOURABLE
ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHINESE AIMS FOR 1997 AND AFTERWARDS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THEIR INTERESTS IN HONG KONG ARE FAVOURABLY VIEWED BY
THE CHINESE IN THE LONGER TERM. IT IS PERHAPS PARTICULARLY EASY FOR
THE JAPANESE TO DO THIS BEFORE ANY CRITICAL POINTS IN OUR
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CHINESE HAVE BEEN REACHED ."
3. THE PARTICULAR POINT OF DIFFICULTY IN THAT PARAGRAPH WAS THE PHRASE ABOUT THE JAPANESE ADOPTING AN IMPLICITLY FAVOURABLE ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHINESE AIMS FOR 1997 AND AFTERWARDS. WE HAVE, ADMITTEDLY, LITTLE HARD EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS VIEW, WHICH IN ANY CASE WE CONSIDER IS MORE ONE OF POSTURE RATHER THAN OF POLICIES
BEING ACTIVELY PURSUED BY THE JAPANESE. BUT THE JAPANESE UNDOUBTEDLY CONSIDER THAT THE REVERSION OF HONG KONG TO CHINA IS INEVITABLE AS
PART OF THE SWEEP OF HISTORY. THIS COMES THROUGH IN THE WAY IN WHICH SENIOR JAPANESE DISCUSS THE SUBJECT WITH US AND IN WHICH
HONG KONG IS TREATED EG ON JAPANESE TELEVISION (AND THIS DESPITE A
WILLINGNESS ON THE JAPANESE PART TO ACCEPT AND TAKE NOTE OF OUR
POINTS ABOUT THE NEED TO PRESERVE THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF
HONG KONG, THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A CAPITALIST SYSTEM IN THE
RIGHT ENVIRONMENT, AND THE BENEFITS WHICH HONG KONG PROVIDES IN ITS PRESENT FORM TO THE CHINESE, THE JAPANESE, THE AMERICANS AND THIS PART OF THE WORLD GENERALLY).
4. OUR VIEW DOES NOT GO SO FAR AS TO SUGGEST THEREFORE THAT THE
JAPANESE ARE CONSCIOUSLY INCLINED IN A PUBLIC WAY TO SUPPORT ANY
ASPECT OF CHINESE POLICY VIS-A-VIS HONG KONG. AS FAR AS THE
NEGOTIATIONS THEMSELVES ARE CONCERNED THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO BE
STUDIOUSLY NEUTRAL. IT IS JUST THAT WHEN THEY ARE CLOSETED WITH THE
CHINESE WE ARE PRETTY CERTAIN THAT THEY WILL HEAR THE CHINESE OUT
WITH APPROPIRATE NODS AND A MEASURE OF UNDERSTANDING WHICH ADDS
POINT TO THE ENSUING CONVERSATION IN WHICH THE JAPANESE SEEK OR THE
CHINESE OFFER SAFEGUARDS FOR JAPANESE CAPITAL AFTER 1997.
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