TNAG-1876-FCO40-2667-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Japan-1989 — Page 97

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MDLOAN 9515

Q

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO ROUTINE TOKYO

TELNO 700

OF 04113OZ SEPTEMBER 89

AKB 020/13

eure

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, HANOI, HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, MANILA INFO ROUTINE JAKARTA, BANGKOK, UKMIS GENEVA

JAPAN/HK

W 18/4

UK/JAPAN CONSULTATIONS ON ASIA

1

TANINO, DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR ASIAN AFFAIRS, JAPANESE MFA, CALLED ON MCLAREN ON 1 SEPTEMBER, ON HIS WAY BACK TO JAPAN AFTER THE CAMBODIA CONFERENCE IN PARIS. CAMBODIA

2.

TANINO AGREED WITH MCLAREN THAT THE CONFERENCE HAD ACHIEVED VERY LITTLE. SIHANOUK'S PERFORMANCE HAD BEEN ERRATIC. THE JAPANESE HAD MADE IT CLEAR TO THE VIETNAMESE VICE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS THAT, UNLESS A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT WERE ACHIEVED, THERE WOULD BE NO QUESTION OF RESUMPTION OF JAPANESE AID TO VIETNAM.

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

3.

MCLAREN AND TANINO AGREED THAT THIS SHOULD BE AN IMPORTANT ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S FORTHCOMING VISIT TO TOKYO. JAPAN AND THE UK SHOULD USE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT PRESSURE ON VIETNAM TO STEM THE FLOW OF ECONOMIC REFUGEES. MCLAREN MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG WAS CRITICAL. HE HOPED THAT THE JAPANESE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP OVER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROCESSING CENTRE IN THE PHILIPPINES.

TANINO DESCRIBED THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT'S ALARM AT THE ARRIVAL OF INCREASING NUMBERS OF BOAT PEOPLE IN JAPAN, INCLUDING CHINESE

NATIONALS.

CHINA AND HONG KONG

4.

TANINO AGREED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DEMONSTRATE JAPAN'S CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR HONG KONG. HE REGRETTED THAT THE

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT CONTINUED TO DRAG THEIR FEET OVER AIR SERVICE SEPARATION TALKS. HE HOPED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S

VISIT COULD BE USED TO OVERCOME THE MOT'S RESISTANCE.

5.

ON THE CHINESE INTERNAL SITUATION MCLAREN AND TANINO AGREED THAT THE CURRENT CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS WEAK AND UNSTABLE. TANINO THOUGHT THAT THE SITUATION WOULD BECOME CRITICAL WHEN DENG XIAOPING DIES. HE EXPLAINED THE STEPS JAPAN WAS TAKING TO

REBUILD HER RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. THE MFA HAD PARTIALLY

LIFTED RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL TO CHINA. PREVIOUSLY AGREED AID

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