TNAG-1258-FCO40-1591-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 66

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Japan's relationship with ASEAN has acquired a new closeness.

Former Prime Minister Fukuda enunciated the so-called Fukuda doctrine

in 1977, in which he pledged that Japan would be an equal partner of

ASEAN. Today, the Japanese government established a habit that on

important occasions it communicates with its ASEAN friends. It was a

symbolic act on the part of Prime Minister Nakasone when he telephoned

the head of ASEAN governments just after he became Prime Minister. Japan

and ASEAN have very close link in trade and economic cooperation. Prime

Minister Nakasone announced in his trip to ASEAN last May a programme of

exchange of young people, which he called "Friendship Programme for the

21st Century".

Relations between China and Japan have never been better in their

two thousand years of history. The exchange of people between Japan

and China stood at 157,000 in 1982 which was 17 times the number in 1972

when Japan and China normalized relations. Trade has increased 8 fold

during this period. For China, trade with Japan accounts for approximate-

ly 25% of its total trade.

When Prime Minister Zhao Zi-yang visited Japan last year, he proposed

and Japan agreed to three principles governing the relations of the two

countries. These are: peace and friendship, reciprocity and equality,

and long-term stability. Upon such basis Japan is determined to cooperate

with China by providing technology and capital in her hsitoric efforts

for modernization. The leaders of both countries have pledged time and

again long lasting friendship "from generation to generation" between the

two peoples. Through such cooperation the truly grass roots Japanese-

Chinese friendship will be further cemented.

Japan and China have established a relationship in which very frank

dialogue on various international questions is possible between the two

governments. Japan and China share many views on international affairs.

Mr. Hu Yao-Bang, the General-Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party,

is expected to visit Japan ten days from now as a state guest. I

understand that his trip to Japan is his first visit to a non-socialist

country. In his trip, Mr. Hu Yao-Bang wishes to talk with the Japanese

about cooperation between Japan and China into the 21st century.

We are