CONFIDENTIAL
115122
MDHIAN 9874
MR PATTEN COME TO TOKYO FOR UK-JAPAN 2000 IN THE SPRING. INTERVAL WILL BE ABOUT RIGHT.
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8. AT HOME PRIVATELY IN KAMAKURA ON 28 NOVEMBER A SPECIAL GESTURE TO THE GOVERNOR YUKIO SATOH UNDERLINED HIS OWN CONTINUING INTEREST IN HONG KONG. HE ASSURED MR PATTEN OF JAPAN'S FULLEST MORAL SUPPORT. HE CONCURRED IN MY JUDGEMENT THAT THE IDEAL JAPANESE CONSTELLATION FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE SUBJECT WAS HATA/OZAWA. FINGERS CROSSED. HE ADVISED US NOT TO UNDER-ESTIMATE THE ROLE OF NAKASONE DESPITE HIS AGE, WITH SO MANY OTHER FIGURES OFF THE STAGE OR EXITING. HINT DULY TAKEN.
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DESCRIBING THE JAPANESE APPROACH TO THE INCOMING CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, SATOH ALERTED US TO THE CURRENT PREPARATION OF PAPERS TO HAND OVER TO CLINTON'S STAFF. ALONG WITH CHINA AND RUSSIA THE JAPANESE MIGHT USEFULLY STRESS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HONG KONG, PARTICULARLY IN THE MFN CONTEXT. I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. AS THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT TO SATOH, SOME POINTS ARE BETTER MADE IN PRIVATE THAN PUBLIC. BUT I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IN BOTH CASES WE COULD STRESS THE NEED TO OPEN JOBS AND MARKETS RATHER THAN CLOSE THEM DOWN. PRIVATELY WE CAN STRENGTHEN THE JAPANESE WISH TO SEE AN HONEST AND DURABLE TRANSITION IN HONG KONG AS A CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL STABILITY. HONG KONG MAY HAVE PREFERRED FORMS OF WORDS.
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TAILPIECE. I HAVE JUST HAD LUNCH WITH KAKIZAWA (POLITICAL VICE MINISTER, MFA) WHO WAS PLEASED WITH THE VISIT AND HOPED THAT THE GOVERNOR WAS SATISFIED. HE REPEATED THE VIEW THAT A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE FOR HONG KONG WAS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO THE REGION BUT TO CHINA ITSELF. WATANABE HAD CONSISTENTLY STRESSED THAT TO THE CHINESE. IN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION HE DOUBTED WHETHER THE CHINESE IN TOKYO WERE OUT TO COUNTER THE GOVERNOR'S EFFECT (PINCH OF SALT, HOWEVER).
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