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Speechly Japanese Consul Gerend in teamphang, Nov. 83 (64) JAPAN'S POLICY ON THE ASIAN-PACIFIC REGION yee/12
2 by Are olds M. leder, FED
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
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It is indeed a great honour and pleasure for me to address this
public seminar hosted by the Hong Kong Federation of Students.
Ps.
Allow me to start on a personal note. Last month marked the 10th
anniversary of the first oil shock in 1973, when oil prices suddenly
quadrupled. At that time, I was a private secretary to Japan's Foreign
Minister Mr. Masayoshi Ohira and was privy to the political leadership.
It was a trying experience for Japan's leaders. All the assumptions
and confidence of high economic growth of the 1960's were shaken from
the bottom. U.S.-Japanese relations were severely strained. Japanese
leaders tried desperately to cope with the situation. Nobody ever
had the notion at the height of the crisis that the oil shock was in
fact a boon to Japan and to the rest of Asia, and paved the way for an
era of Asian and Pacific economic dynamism.
Before I go into the question of Japan's Asian policy, let me
touch upon some basic features of Japan's over-all foreign policy.
Japan has a dual position in her external relations; one is
Japan as a member of western camp and the other is Japan as an Asian
country. Japan shares basic values of freedom and democracy with its
U.S. ally and its European and Pacific friends. At the same time,
Japan has been increasingly aware in recent years that it is an Asian
nation. As such, Japan believes it has a historic role to play in
cooperating with its Asian neighbours in their modernization and
development.
Underneath the two pillars of Japan's foreign policy I just
referred to there is the fact that Japan's foreign policy is based
on reflection on its past.
The foreign policy of any nation is a product of history.
the case of Japan it is even more So.
HKK040/5
ARCEN EL IN
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