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Japan's relationship with ASEAN has acquired a new closeness.
Former Prime Minister Fukuda enunciated the so-called Fukuda doctrine
in 1977, in which he pledged that Japan would be an equal partner of
ASEAN. Today, the Japanese government established a habit that on
important occasions it communicates with its ASEAN friends. It was a
symbolic act on the part of Prime Minister Nakasone when he telephoned
the head of ASEAN governments just after he became Prime Minister. Japan
and ASEAN have very close link in trade and economic cooperation. Prime
Minister Nakasone announced in his trip to ASEAN last May a programme of
exchange of young people, which he called "Friendship Programme for the
21st Century".
Relations between China and Japan have never been better in their
two thousand years of history. The exchange of people between Japan
and China stood at 157,000 in 1982 which was 17 times the number in 1972
when Japan and China normalized relations. Trade has increased 8 fold
during this period. For China, trade with Japan accounts for approximate-
ly 25% of its total trade.
When Prime Minister Zhao Zi-yang visited Japan last year, he proposed
and Japan agreed to three principles governing the relations of the two
countries. These are: peace and friendship, reciprocity and equality,
and long-term stability. Upon such basis Japan is determined to cooperate
with China by providing technology and capital in her hsitoric efforts
for modernization. The leaders of both countries have pledged time and
again long lasting friendship "from generation to generation" between the
two peoples. Through such cooperation the truly grass roots Japanese-
Chinese friendship will be further cemented.
Japan and China have established a relationship in which very frank
dialogue on various international questions is possible between the two
governments. Japan and China share many views on international affairs.
Mr. Hu Yao-Bang, the General-Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party,
is expected to visit Japan ten days from now as a state guest. I
understand that his trip to Japan is his first visit to a non-socialist
country. In his trip, Mr. Hu Yao-Bang wishes to talk with the Japanese
about cooperation between Japan and China into the 21st century.
We are