CONFIDENTIAL
052675
MDHIA 198
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5. THE SECRETARY OF STATE AGREED. WE WOULD CONTINUE TO ARGUE FOR AN OPENNESS IN EUROPE. ASEAN FEARS HAD BEEN EVIDENT AT THE ASEAN POST-MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE IN MANILA IN JULY. AT THE EC/ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING THERE IN OCTOBER, WE WOULD EMPHASISE THE ESSENTIAL OPENNESS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY.
6. THE SECRETARY OF STATE ASKED FOR WATANABE'S ASSESSMENT OF THE CANCELLATION OF YELTSIN'S VISIT TO JAPAN. WATANABE SAID
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THAT DURING HIS OWN VISIT TO MOSCOW ON 2 3 SEPTEMBER, YELTSIN HAD PLEDGED TO VISIT JAPAN ON 14 SEPTEMBER AS PLANNED. BUT ON 9 SEPTEMBER YELTSIN HAD CALLED OFF THE VISIT FOR
WHAT WERE DESCRIBED AS INTERNAL REASONS. WATANABE THOUGHT THAT YELTSIN HAD BEEN AFRAID THAT THE OPPOSITION WITHIN THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT MIGHT USE THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES ISSUE TO UNDERMINE HIS POSITION.
7. WATANABE SAID THAT YELTSIN HAD TELEPHONED PRIME MINISTER MIYAZAWA TO EXPLAIN HIS DECISION. HE HAD MADE CLEAR THAT THIS WAS A POSTPONEMENT, NOT A CANCELLATION, AND THAT RUSSIA WISHED TO CONTINUE EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES ISSUE. THE RUSSIANS ALSO WISHED TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE SAKHALIN OIL PROJECT. YELTSIN HAD EMPHASISED THAT HIS DECISION DID NOT REFLECT DISSATISFACTION WITH JAPAN. MIYAZAWA HAD ACCEPTED THIS EXPLANATION.
8. WATANABE WENT ON THAT SOME PEOPLE IN RUSSIA, INCLUDING THE MEDIA, WERE CLAIMING THAT JAPAN WAS TO BLAME FOR THE CANCELLATION OF THE VISIT. BUT JAPAN WOULD RELY ON WHAT YELTSIN HAD TOLD MIYAZAWA. HENCE ITS POLICY TOWARDS RUSSIA WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. THIS APPLIED ALSO TO ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE. JAPAN WAS GOING AHEAD WITH PLANS TO HOST THE TOKYO CONFERENCE ON ASSISTANCE TO THE FORMER SOVIET UNION. WATANABE ADDED THAT THE CANCELLATION OF THE VISIT
HAD STIRRED UP ANTI RUSSIA FEELINGS AMONG ELEMENTS OF THE JAPANESE PUBLIC AND HIS OWN PARTY. BUT THE GOVERNMENT WAS
TRYING TO CALM SUCH FEELINGS.
9. THE SECRETARY OF STATE WELCOMED THE CONTINUED HEALTHY RELATIONS BETWEEN JAPAN AND CHINA, INCLUDING THE EMPEROR'S PLANNED VISIT TO PEKING. WE HOPED THAT IN ITS DEALINGS WITH CHINA JAPAN WOULD EMPHASISE THE IMPORTANCE OF A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN HONG KONG. WATANABE SAID THEY WERE MAKING THIS CASE TO BOTH CHINA AND THE U.S. THEY WERE URGING THE AMERICANS NOT TO CANCEL CHINESE MEN STATUS.
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