CONFIDENTIAL
PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT TO JAPAN
10.
We agreed that this had been a disappointing affair. I said that no-one could take any pleasure in the way the visit had turned out. It was important to all of us that Japan and the United States should have a strong relationship. It was a pity that the achievements of the visit, including the statements on global cooperation and a global plan of joint action had been overshadowed by trade matters and the President's illness.
EAST TIMOR/BURMA
11. Sugino said, with reference to East Timor and Burma (emphasising that he was speaking personally), that Asian society was not receptive to the adversarial political culture of the West. Confrontational attitudes produced resistance not progress. I said that I understood this comment which was often made to us by Asian friends. Clearly, the principles of good government and human rights were now deeply embedded in Western foreign policy.
This was not likely to change but I personally accepted that it was necessary to put careful attention to presentation when implementing these principles in Asia.
VISITS BY THE EMPEROR
12.
The
Sugino said that a problem was developing. Chinese wanted the Emperor to visit this year. President Bush had also just invited the Emperor to visit the United States this year. The Emperor had a commitment to visit South Korea, following a cancellation when he was Crown Prince, and Sir John Whitehead had made very unofficial enquiries about the possibility of the Emperor visiting Britain this May.
13.
On a
The Chinese invitation was particularly difficult. There would be objections on human rights grounds in Japan. and there were other problems. How would the British Government regard a visit by the Emperor to China? I said that the Government had not considered the matter. purely personal basis I would say that while the positions of Japan and Britain in respect of China were not the same, if only for geographical reasons, I did not think Ministers would contemplate advising The Queen to visit China in current circumstances. I also thought the EC would continue to be cautious about high level visits in 1992.
JANAAX
CONFIDENTIAL