CONFIDENTIAL CORRECTED VERSION
TOP COPY Q DIST?
CONFIDENTIAL
CORRECTED VERSION
FM TOKYO
TO DESKBY 15100OZ FCOLN
TELNO 1040
OF 15083OZ NOVEMBER 1990
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
076731 MDHIAN 9611
нив 026/9
RECEIVER
19 NOV 1990
DESK OFFICEF.
INDEX
PA
YOUR TELNO 2153:
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
1.
VISIT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR
SINCE MR.LILLEY'S TIME OF ARRIVAL IN TOKYO IS BASICALLY UNCHANGED FROM THAT ORIGINALLLY PROPOSED (IE 15 JANUARY) THIS PRESENTS US WITH NO DIFFICULTY. NOR DOES THE SLIGHT EXTENSION OF HIS STAY TO 19 AS OPPOSED TO 18 JANUARY (IE BEING HERE ON THE SATURDAY). BUT THE IDEA OF GOING TO OSAKA AFTER THAT
CAUSES SOME PROBLEMS.
2.
I AM AT THIS STAGE COMMITTED TO A FURTHER MINISTERIAL VISIT WHICH IS DUE TO START 20 JANUARY (SUNDAY) AND, ALTHOUGH THIS COULD POSSIBLY BE PUT BACK, OSAKA (A 3 MAN UK-BASED POST) WILL BE AT FULL STRETCH PREPARING FOR THE OSAKA LEG OF THE
SAME MAJOR FASHION EXHIBITION WHICH MR LILLEY WILL HAVE VISITED IN TOKYO. IF THEY ARE TO DO JUSTICE TO THIS HIGH PROFILE AND HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL ELEMENT IN OUR TRADE PROMOTION DRIVE THERE IS NO WAY IN WHICH THEY COULD ALSO COPE WITH A
2 OR 3 DAY PROGRAMME BY AN IMPORTANT CABINET MINISTER ON HIS
FIRST VISIT TO JAPAN. AND THE MINISTER IN THE EMBASSY, WHO
WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPANY MR LILLEY IN THE OSAKA AREA, WILL BE ON EXTENDED LEAVE OUT OF JAPAN AT THAT TIME.
3.
IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES YOU MAY THINK THAT IT WOULD BE
PREFERABLE FOR MR LILLEY TO OMIT THE KANSAI PART OF HIS VISIT OR CONCEIVABLY TO GO TO KYOTO FOR THE WEEKEND, LEAVING HERE ON THE FRIDAY EVENING OR SATURDAY MORNING (ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE EMBASSY STAFF). THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IDEA IS THAT THERE IS NO DIRECT FLIGHT FROM OSAKA OVER THE POLE TO THE UK ON THE SUNDAY EVENING AND MR LILLEY WOULD HAVE TO CATCH AN EARLY MORNING PLANE ON THE MONDAY TO TOKYO (NARITA) IN ORDER TO CONNECT WITH THE TRANS-SIBERIAN FLIGHT
AT LUNCHTIME THAT DAY.
WHITEHEAD
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL CORRECTED VERSION