01
UK
COMYS
FY FOC
TO IMMEDIATE TOKYC
TELNO 70
OF 30:200Z JANUARY 9:
437
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON. RIYADH. HONG KONG. MODUK INFO PRIORITY POLAD HIGH WYCOMBE
110
090/2
Eu RECEIVED IN .STRY
C
30 JAN 1991
SIC 19M
MODUK FOR SEC(O) (C)
HONG KONG FOR GOVERNOR
GOVERNOR HONG KONG TO PASS TO LORD CAITHNESS' PARTY IRAQ/KUWAIT: BURDENSHARING
SUMMARY
INDEX
WE ARE TAKI
1G ACTION IN WASHINGTON. AND I HAVE SPOKEN TO T: JAPANESE AYBASSADOR IN LONDON. WOULD A VISIT BY LORD CAITHNESS TO TOKYO SE
DETAIL
LPFUL?
2. THANK YOU FOR THIS FURTHER REPORT. THE QUESTION OF TACKLING THE AMERICANS
LEARLY IMPORTANT. NOT ONLY IN RELATION TO JAPAN BUT IN RE LATION TO OTHER COUNTRIES FROM WHOY WE ARE SEEKING A CONTRI UTION TOWARDS OUR GULF COSTS. WE ARE KORKING ON A HIGH-LEVEL APPROACH. BUT IT WILL BE IN GENERAL TERMS. WOULD NOT SEEK TO DIVIDE UP WITH THE AMERICANS THE JAPANESE CAKE.
WE
3. WE CANNOT LET THE JAPANESE SHRUG THIS OFF AS A US/UK ISSUE: WE NEED TO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE ON THE JAPANESE BILATERALLY AND TO DISCUSS FIGURES WITH THEM. THERE IS INTENSE PUBLIC INTEREST HERE. THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR CALLED ON ME ON 29 JANUARY. AND I RAISED THE ISSUE. THE AMBASSADOR FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE UK'S POSITION BUT CONFIRMED THAT THE AMERICANS HAD LAID CLAIM TO THE WHOLE DOLLARS 9 BILLION.
4.
IN ADDITION TO THIS CONVERSATION AND TO THE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE. IT MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR LORD CAITHNESS (WHO IS AT PRESENT IN HONG KONG) TO EXTEND HIS STAY IN THE FAR EAST AND VISIT TOKYO TO DISCUSS OUR CASE. HOWEVER. WE WOULD NOT WANT LORD CAITHNESS TO APPEAR TO BE REBUFFED. FOR HIM TO GO. WE WOULD NEED AT LEAST SOME INDICATION THAT THE JAPANESE WERE LIKELY TO RESPOND ENCOURAGINGLY (THOUGH WE ACCEPT THAT SINCE JAPANESE PROCEDURES ARE SLOW. HE MAY NOT COME AWAY WITH ASSURANCES WHICH ARE COMPLETELY BANKABLE). CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE LIKELY JAPANESE REACTION?
5. ON PRESENT PLANS. LORD CAITHNESS IS DUE TO LEAVE HONG KONG ON FRIDAY EVENING. 1 FEBRUARY. SO IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR HIM
GRATEFUL TO KNOW FROM
TO SPEND 2 FEBRUARY IN TOKYO.
LORD CAITHNESS'S PARTY IN HONG KONG WHETHER THIS WOULD IN PRINCIPLE BE POSSIBLE. AND FROM YOU WHETHER YOU WOULD RECOMMEND SUCH A VISIT AS A WAY OF KEEPING OUR CLAIM WELL TO THE FORE IN JAPANESE MINDS.