TNAG-2693-FCO40-3896-Meetings-and-calls-on-Alastair-Goodlad--Minister-of-State-fo-1993 — Page 66

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Exchequer and Foreign Secretary would all be visiting Japan for

the G7 Summit in July. The Foreign Secretary would be making a separate bilateral visit in April. The Japanese Government was

acutely concerned to achieve recovery of their domestic economy.

There was a problem with resurgent trade surpluses with the EC

and USA. HMG welcomed continued Japanese investment in the UK

there were now 184 Japanese-owned manufacturing companies in Britain. Japanese investment in research and development in the

UK was growing. Trading relations between the UK and Japan had

improved, with British exports last year at the same level as in

1991. There had also been a significant increase in UK direct investment into Japan (investment in 1991 represented an eight-fold increase over the previous year albeit from a very low base). We welcomed Japan's new level of participation in

international affairs, such as participation in international peacekeeping operations. We encouraged a range of exchanges, including scientific exchanges. The activities of the UK/Japan 2000 Group were a good example of what could be achieved: the

annual conference of this Group would be held in Tokyo in March.

17. Sir Michael Atiyah said that the Royal Society also paid considerable attention to Japan. He hoped to visit that country with Dr McLaren in April 1994. The Society currently operated a Japanese Science Information Service, which was of considerable

benefit to scientists in the UK. Sadly, the future of this

service was in doubt, because of financial constraints. Dr

McLaren gave some background on the role of the Japanese Science

Information Service. Most Japanese scientific publications were

written in Japanese - as a result, the scientific community in the UK was perhaps not well enough aware of scientific developments in that country. A comprehensive set of exchange programmes was in place with Japan, including Post-doctoral Fellowships. The Society felt that one of the reasons for the

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