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Mr Tsunosaki, First Secretary, Japanese Embassy, 5 October
5.
Mr Tsunosaki had previously seen Mr McQuade and me several months ago. He came armed with a folder of British press cuttings on which a number of his questions were based. He mentioned specifically Bernard Levin's article in last Saturday's Times, Hugo Young's piece in the Observer, and recent Far Eastern Economic Review and Economist stories. He was particularly interested in the Chinese propaganda campaign and our lack of response to it. We also discussed adverse Chinese reaction to recent remarks by the Prime Minister and Mr Luce and I let him have copies of the latter's press conference in Hong Kong. On the point in Mr Levin's article about the need for Britain to do something now about finding homes for the Hong Kong Chinese, I said that this was far too pessimistic an approach. I explained about BDTC status, and also about the fact that many Hong Kong Chinese had links not with Britain but with the US, Australasia and South East Asia. On propaganda campaigns, Mr Tsunosaki took the view that we were right not to rise to the Chinese bait. Although he could see why the people in Hong Kong were becoming impatient for news of progress in the talks.
6. I mentioned that we were always interested to hear if Hong Kong had been discussed between influential Japanese and Chinese officials or businessmen. I said there might be times when if we knew in advance of possible Sino-Japanese discussions on Hong Kong, there might be one or two points on which the Japanese might like to be aware beforehand. Since then he has rung me to say that several Japanese Cabinet Ministers went to China in September, but Hong Kong was not discussed. He thought it would most likely arise in discussions between businessmen and bankers. However he did inform me that Hu Yaobang is due to visit Japan from 23-30 November. Depending on the state of play over the future in mid-November, it is for consideration whether we might, with the Prime Minister's authority, bring the Japanese more fully into the picture and offer them some points that might be made, if appropriate, to Hu.
US interest
7.
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Ms Sutter of the US Embassy is to come to see me on Monday 10 October for one of our regular chats. She has not mentioned it to me, but I note that the Chinese Foreign Minister is in New York now and will be going to Washington on 10 October. When the PUS called on Mr Dam, US Deputy Secretary of State at the State Department, on 29 September, Mr Dam said that, with the Chinese Foreign Minister coming to Washington shortly, and the Chinese Prime Minister visiting the US next spring, it would be helpful to have the fullest possible account of our thinking. We should discuss seen what updating, if any, the Americans need, and whether there is anything we should like to ask them to say to Foreign Minister Wu in
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