CONFIDENTIAL
The
Minister and the President on Vietnamese boat people. Americans would do their best to "envelope" the problem. But the Administration's efforts to contain reactions would be killed off by bad TV footage. Sir D Gillmore acknowledged that. He said that we would be signing an agreement with the Vietnamese on returning those screened out who arrived after the date of the agreement's signature on 29 October. The UNHCR would be fully involved. There would be monitoring. Mr Solomon asked whether Secretary Baker's agreement with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister to start on the Road Map now had helped. Sir D Gillmore said that he did not think there could be a direct connection but that an improvement in US/Vietnam relations was clearly a welcome factor.
6. Mr Solomon repeated his concern as to US/China relations. November would be a big Asia month for the Americans. Baker would be in the region for ten days. The President would be visiting Japan, Korea, Singapore and Australia before going on to Pearl Harbour. Baker would be producing a major article for Foreign Affairs. The aim would be to set out some policy tracks, including on Japan. The Americans were working closely with the Japanese. He had already referred to the problem of North Korean nuclear ambitions. Seeing off the Malaysians on their East Asian Economic Group proposals would depend on the outcome of the Uruguay Round. In answer to a question from Sir D Gillmore he said that there was indeed now less feeling than there had been in the United States against Japan. The SII had been successful to some degree in defusing the question of the trade deficit. The Chinese were now drawing some of the animus previously directed against Japan. The Democrats were not at present inclined to regard the issue as potentially profitable electorally. And the new Japanese Prime Minister was well-disposed.
WV Sood
A M WOOD
29 october, 1991
CONFIDENTIAL
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