TNAG-2463-FCO40-3585-Overseas-visits-by-Sir-David-Wilson--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 76

CONFIDENTIAL

FM TOKYO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 10

OF 050811Z NOVEMBER 92

INFO PRIORITY FCO

RIOREKETSY

CONFIDENTIAL

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FROM THORPE IN AMBASSADOR'S ABSENCE ON TOUR

YOUR TELNO 8: YOUR VISIT TO JAPAN, 25-28 NOVEMBER

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YOU WILL BE AWARE FROM HKETO OF DEVELOPMENTS IN YOUR VISIT PROGRAMME. BUT WE STILL OWE YOU RECOMMENDATIONS ON POLITICAL CALLS. THE SITUATION HERE HAS STARTED TO BECOME CLEARER. THE TAKESHITA FACTION HAS SPLIT IN FACT THOUGH NOT IN NAME INTO A TAKESHITA-OBUCHI GROUP AND AN OZAWA-HATA GROUP. THE FORMER IS TEAMING UP WITH THE OTHER MAIN FACTIONS (MIYAZAWA, WATANABE, MITSUZUKA) AGAINST THE LATTER. THE CABINET RESHUFFLE IS NOW

IS NOW (") EXPECTED IN DECEMBER.

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YOU WILL BE MEETING MIYAZAWA, MICHIO WATANABE AND HATA IN THE COURSE OF GOVERNMENTAL BUSINESS. WE STILL ALSO RECOMMEND A CALL ON NAKASONE. THAT LEAVES MITSUZUKA, ON WHOM WE RECOMMEND YOU CALL, AND THE TAKESHITA-OBUCHI GROUP. THE LATTER IS TOO IMPORTANT TO IGNORE, BUT IT IS NOT EASY TO ADVISE HOW TO APPROACH IT. NORMALLY I SHOULD RECOMMEND A CALL ON TAKESHITA, BUT HE IS STILL AT THE HEART OF THE SAGAWA SCANDAL AND WILL HAVE TO TESTIFY THIS MONTH IN THE DIET ABOUT HIS ALLEGED LINKS WITH ORGANISED CRIME. THE ALTERNATIVE IS A CALL ON OBUCHI - LESS INTERESTING BUT LESS CONTROVERSIAL RIGHT NOW AND PROBABLY MORE ACCESSIBLE. WE SHALL TAKE FURTHER ADVICE HERE AND COME BACK WITH A FIRMER RECOMMENDATION NEXT WEEK. THE SMALL KOMOTO FACTION IS COVERED BY OUR INVITATION TO MR AND MRS KAIFU TO DINNER.

3.

YOUR EXPOSURE TO JAPANESE POLITICIANS WILL THUS CONSIST OF THE ONE-ON-ONE CALLS, THE RECEPTION HOSTED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY LEAGUE CHATA HOPES TO ATTEND), AND THE AMBASSADOR'S DINNER. BESIDES KAIFU, WE ARE INVITING ON 26 NOVEMBER HATA, KAKIZAWA, TOTSUKA, MIHARA, HAMADA, SHIINA AND KITAGAWA (WHOM YOU MET AS ENVIRONMENT SECRETARY) AS WELL AS OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THOSE YOU PROPOSED. THE DINNER WILL BE MIXED AND, AS AGREED, WILL NOT INCLUDE THE BUSINESS DELEGATION.

4. ON YOUR LEGCO SPEECH, ALTHOUGH THERE IS DISQUIET AT THE CHINESE REACTION, OUR CONTACTS HAVE IN GENERAL REACTED POSITIVELY AND REMAIN KEEN TO SUPPORT HONG KONG.

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