(3/40)
300CTIV
Jim Ba
Ноль Коло дев (SEE PARA 3)
300
ебло
INBASSY,
TOKYO.
16 October 1970
Cops a HKK22/8
зрі
Me. Royle'e visió to Jepan
7-9 Octobox 1970
Although you yourself were present throughout, I thought you might' like a short account of Mr. and Mrs. Royle's visit here as seen in retrospect.
2.
It had been agreed in advance that we should portray this visit as a simple stop-over which Mr. Royle was able to make because he had accepted BOAC's invitation to travel-on the so-called second inaugural flight from London to Tokyo vile Mosoc. He himself emphasised the importance of Hong Kong, along with Cambodia and Bangkok as his main destinations. For this reason the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were no doubt reluctant to tell the press very much about Mr. Royle's prosence and, although it was in some ways disappointing that we did not get a better write up for one of our relatively infrequent ministorial visits, it is praiseworthy that the Ministry, respected the infomal nature of the visit. The failure of the Ministry to meet and see off Mr. Royle was again attributable cntirely to the emphasis that had boon placed on the word unofficial.
3. In making his courtesy call on the Parliamentary Vice-Minister, Mr. Roiichi Takeuchi, Mr. Royle was nevertheless able to put down markers on two bilateral problems between Hong Kong and Japan. As reported in our telegram number 752 of 15 October, Mr. Royle emphasised the political repercussions for all countries in the area if Hong Kong were to suffer a trade roccsuden as a mosult of exclusion from the UNCTAD Coneralisod Preferences and if this in turn led to political trouble in the cology.' Mr. Haksucht was evidently in no position to give a substantive reply, confining himself to saying that the Japanese ministries concerned wore divided in their attitude and that a final decision had not yet been reached. He would ensure, however, that they were informed of Mr. Hoyic's representations. We have incidentally learned from a subsequent conversation with Mr. Kan that Japanese companies in Hong Kong are not of such a scale or nature that Japanese business itself would suffer appreciably if Hong Kong were excluded. On the second point, the Hong Kong Covermont's wish to see visas abolished for Hong Kong passport holders coming to Japan, Mr. Takeuchi moroly took note of our points. This has since boon pursued at a lower level (seo my letter of 15 October to Gardner, copied to Maddocks, Hong Kong) but we are not optimistic that the Japanese will be ablo to budge on this. As money is really no object, their decision is not going to hinge on the Hong Kong Covermont's offer to pay for the repatriation of unwanted Hong Kong nationals, though this could be a sweetener.
J.A.B. Horgan, Esq., Taw Dostupn Departmont, Jovolen & Commonwealth
MILK6/12
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