CONFIDENT IAL
VISIT OF JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER: 11-12 JANUARY
CONTRIBUTION TO PRIVATE SECRETARY LETTER TO NUMBER 10
Hong Kong/China/Vietnamese Boat People
Kaifu's main
1. China/Hong Kong will be an important agenda item for the
Japanese in Kaifu's talks with the Prime Minister.
objective will be to seek understanding for a more forward Japanese
policy on China (insert FED's passage on China).
2. On Hong Kong, the Japanese continue to be cooperative over
re-building confidence, although they are unlikely to be willing to help over passports. The Prime Minister may wish to express appreciation for Japanese Foreign Minister Nakayama's helpful visit
to Hong Kong in November and to welcome the continuing high level of Japanese business involvement She may wish to stress that a specific step which Japan could take to help restore confidence in the territory would be the early resumption of air separation talks
(see separate brief).
3. The Japanese have taken an uncritical line over our repatriation of Vietnamese boat people and in view of their own decision to
start repatriating Chinese illegal immigrants, they should be urged to come out more openly in support. The Prime Minister will wish
to stress the importance of making progress on repatriation when
the Steer Committee of the International Conference on
Indo-Chinese Refugees resumes on 18/19 January. The Prime Minister might encourage the Japanese to make further funds available for UNHCR's voluntary repatriation programme and the Philippine Refugee
Processing Centre (which the Phillipines Government now appear
willing to take forward). She might also ask the Japanese to put
pressure on UNHCR to monitor the conditions of all those repatriated
to Vietnam.
4.
The resumption of programme aid to Vietnam is a sensitive issue for the Japanese, who do not wish to break ranks with the ASEAN countries. If Kaifu raises this subject, the Prime Minister could
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CONF IDENT IAL
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Private notes are available after approval.