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TELNO 703
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110325 MDHIAN 2037
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FOLLOWING FOR DAVIES, FED
PUS' TALKS WITH OWADA: 9 OCTOBER
1. I CALLED ON OWADA LAST NIGHT AT MY REQUEST, TO CHECK MOOD AND ANY ANGLES. I ALSO EXPRESSED SYMPATHETIC CONCERN ABOUT THE SMOKE BOMB ATTACK ON THE EMPEROR (WHICH OWADA SAW AS MORE A POLITICAL STATEMENT THAN A PHYSICAL THREAT). I FOUND OWADA A LITTLE SUBDUED, AND ALSO APOLOGETIC ABOUT MRS OWADA'S ENFORCED CANCELLATION, FOR FAMILY REASONS. I SAID I KNEW THAT THE PUS WAS LOOKING FORWARD GREATLY TO HIS TALKS WITH OWADA. I UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE WHICH I ATTACHED TO THEM AS A KEY ELEMENT IN FULL DEVELOPMENT OF THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. I HOPED THAT THE JAPANESE TOO SAW THEM AS MORE THAN ROUTINE. OWADA DID. HE SPOKE WARMLY OF THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. WE NOW HAD TO CONSIDER HOW TO PROCEED FURTHER, WHETHER IN CONCRETE OR IN CONCEPTUAL TERMS. I ECHOED THE WARMTH, DRAWING ON MY RECENT REMARKS TO HYODO AND PICKING UP THE AWARD OF THE HONORARY KBE TO MORITA AS THE MOST RECENT SYMBOL. OWADA WENT ON TO FISH FAIRLY ENERGETICALLY ABOUT DATES FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: THE TALKS WITH THE PUS WOULD BE A TIMELY STEPPING STONE ON THE WAY TO THIS. ON THIS POINT I SAID I HAD NO NEW INSTRUCTIONS: I SAW A VISIT BY THE PRIME MINISTER AS THE MISSING PIECE OF THE JIGSAW AND, AS A WORKING ASSUMPTION, THE EMBASSY WERE CONTINUING TO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR SUCH A VISIT EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR. BUT AS BEFORE I COULD NOT CONFIRM DATES. MEANWHILE A LIVELY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PUS WAS VALUABLE IN ANY CONTEXT. I HAD HOWEVER BEEN STRUCK BY THE OMISSION IN THE AGENDA APPROVED BY OWADA OF ANY REFERENCE TO SENSITIVE ISSUES, NEVERTHELESS OF MUTUAL CONCERN, LIKE THE WEAK DOLLAR. THIS OUGHT TO BE MORE THAN A ROUTINE LIST. OWADA SAID THAT HE WANTED TO TALK ACROSS THE BOARD, THE AGENDA IN THIS SENSE SHOULD BE TAKEN AS A FRAMEWORK ONLY.
2.
ON PARTICULARS, I MENTIONED THE STRONG CURRENT FLOW OF BILATERAL BUSINESS, DETAILED THE LIST OF CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE MINISTERIAL VISITS AND MENTIONED THE FORTHCOMING VISITS OF APPLEYARD AND SIR J COLES. I DREW OWADA'S ATTENTION TO THE ROBUST AND HELPFUL PERSPECTIVE ON EUROPE AND BRITAIN'S CONTINUING
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