TNAG-0278-FCO40-314-Visit-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Aff-1970 — Page 216

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DATES COULD BE INSERTED IF KNOWN IN TIME. A SENTENCE WOULD ALS ADDED HERE MENTIONING THE VISIT TO HONG KONG.

5. JAPANESE EMBASSY THOUGHT THAT IN PRINCIPLE THEIR GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION IF AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE QUEEN'S REPRESENTATIVE AT EXPO '70 WERE MADE IN LONDON AND MERELY CONFIRMED IN TOKYO. IF REFERENCE IS MADE TO THE CONSULTATIONS, HOWEVER, THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER IT NECESSARY MAKING A SIMULTANEOUS (THOUGH NOT NECESSARILY IDENTICAL) ANNOUNCEMENT IN TOKYO. THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE CLEARED BY THE JAPANESE CABINET AND, AS THE EMBASSY'S REPORT COULD NOT REACH TOKYO IN TIME FOR THE CABINET MEETING ON FRIDAY 13 FEBRUARY, THE MATTER COULD NOT BE CONSIDERED BY THE CABINET UNTIL TUESDAY 17 FEBRUARY. THE EMBASSY AGREED NEVERTHELESS THAT IT WOULD BE UNREALISTIC TO PLAN TO MAKE SEPARATE ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT THE TWO ASPECTS OF THE VISIT.

6. THEY THOUGHT THE BEST PLAN WOULD BE FOR THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IN TOKYO TO ISSUE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AT THEIR REGULAR PRESS CONFERENCE AT 16.00 LOCAL TIME ON TUESDAY, EMBARGOED UNTIL 20.30 1.E. 12.30 BST, AT WHICH TIME NEWS DEPARTMENT WOULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT HERE. RISK OF LEAK FROM CONFERENCE AT 16.00 IN TOKYO WOULD, THEY THOUGHT, BE NEGLIGIBLE SINCE EVENING PAPERS WOULD ALREADY HAVE GONE TO PRESS. (WE SHOULD HOWEVER ALSO HAVE TO ASSESS THE RISK OF A LEAK BY THE CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY AT HIS NEWS CONFERENCE AT NOON.) WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ADVICE AFTER CONSULTING FOREIGN MINISTRY,

STEWART

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F.E.D.

H.K.D.

I.A.D.

P. & C.D.

NEWS DEPT.

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