CONFIDENTIAL
FM TOKYO
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 967
OF 060815Z OCTOBER 89
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 020 113
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, DTP, PEKING, WASHINGTON
DTP FOR IAD
YOUR TELNO 820: HONG KONG/JAPAN
SUMMARY
14
030130 MDHIAN 8701
1. JAPAN WELCOMES RESUMPTION OF JLG AND REAFFIRMS WILLINGNESS TO PLAY CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. LOBBYING OF MUKAIYAMA IN MARGINS OF NEXT WEEK'S AIR TALKS RECOMMENDED.
DETAIL
2. MINISTER CALLED YESTERDAY (5 OCTOBER) ON THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF ASIA BUREAU MFA AND BRIEFED HIM ON THE OUTCOME OF LAST WEEK'S JLG, DRAWING EXTENSIVELY ON PARAS 2-7 OF TUR. SUZUKI WAS GRATEFUL
HE ADDED THAT NAKAYAMA WAS
T
1
NOW '99 PER CENT CERTAIN TO VISIT HONG KONG ON TIMINGS GIVEN IN HONG KONG TELNO 3253 (NOT TO ALL). HE WOULD THEN TRAVEL ON TO THE ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC FORUM IN CANBERRA.
3. MINISTER THEN ASKED ABOUT PROGRESS ON HONG KONG SEPARATION TALKS RECALLING THE PRIME MINISTER'S DISCUSSION WITH KAIFU ABOUT STRENGTHENING CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG AND STRESSING THE CONTRIBUTION THAT AN AIR AGREEMENT COULD MAKE. SUZUKI SAID THAT MFA FULLY AGREED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TASK AND APPRECIATED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TIMING. THERE HAD BEEN SOME CONCERN ABOUT DISCUSSIONS TAKING PLACE IMMEDIATELY AFTER TIANANMEN SQUARE, BUT ADDED REVEALINGLY THAT NOW JAPAN WAS TRYING TO PERSUADE THE WEST TO RETURN TO NORMAL BUSINESS WITH CHINA, THERE WAS NO MFA INHIBITION. THEY WOULD BE WORKING TO PERSUADE MOT TO GET TALKS GOING AGAIN.
4.
IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION WHETHER DIRECT PRESSURE FROM US ON MOT WOULD BE USEFUL, SUZUKI THOUGHT NOT AS OUR VIEWS WERE ALREADY WELL KNOWN. I RECOMMEND NONETHELESS THAT UK OFFICIALS SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MUKAIYAMA (MOT)'S PRESENCE IN THE UK
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