RESTRICTED
107021 MOTTAN 1905
EMOCRATIC FREEDOMS.
NONETHELESS, HONG KONG WAS IMPORTANT TO PAN BOTH IN ITSELF AND AS A TEST CASE FOR UK/JAPAN POLITICAL COOPERATION. SATO WAS ANXIOUS THEREFORE FOR JAPAN 10 DO AS MUCH
AS
POSSIBLE. HE HAD, FOR EXAMPLE, SPOKEN PERSONALLY AND PRIVATELY TO TERASHIMA (MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT) ABOUT A NEW ASA. TERASHIMA
HAD BEEN REASSURED BY THE CHINESE MESSAGE THAT THEY WOULD LOOK CONSTRUCTIVELY AT A HONG KONG/JAPAN AGREEMENT, ALTHOUGH IMMEDIATE RESUMPTION OF TALKS WAS COMPLICATED BY A REORGANISATION OF THE AIR TRANSPORT BUREAU.
4. SATO THOUGHT THERE MIGHT WELL BE OTHER SUBJECT WHERE JAPAN COULD HELP (I MENTIONED THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND CUSTOMS AGREEMENTS AS PART OF THE BACKLOG OF BILATERAL BUSINESS NEEDING TO BE RESOLVED). IT WAS IMPORTANT HOWEVER THAT THE UK SHOULD EXPLAIN TO JAPAN WHAT PRECISELY WE WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF, FOR EXAMPLE, TONY GALSWORTHY COULD COME TO JAPAN FOR AN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS: THE NUMBER OF OFFICIALS WHO JETERMINED JAPANESE POLICY WAS COMPARATIVELY LIMITED BUT THEY NEEDED TO BE MOBILISED AND TO HAVE THE UK'S POSITION EXPLAINED TO THEM IN DETAIL AT A WORKING LEVEL.
5. PERSONALLY I THINK THERE IS MUCH IN ALL OF THIS.
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CONFRONTATION GETS US NOWHERE AND PIECES OF PAPER - LIKE THE BILL OF RIGHTS WILL NOT BE THE IMPORTANT THING AFTER 1997. THIS IS THE REASON WHY I PUT THE EMPHASIS ON JAPAN RATHER THAN THE
US IN MY MINUTE TO THE PRIVATE SECRETARY. THE JAPANESE DO UNDERSTAND THE CHINESE MUCH BETTER AND WILL NOT GET HUNG UPON POLITICAL SLOGANS.
SIGNED
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ROBERT COOPER.
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