TNAG-2912-FCO40-4187-International-support-from-Asia-regarding-the-future-of-Hong-1993 — Page 11

Ambassador

RESTRICTED

MELD 021/2

RECE

INJE,

29 DEC 1993

From: A C Thorpe Date:

CC:

15 December 1993

C(P) EC Mr Fry,

FED.

(166)

VIEWS OF MESSRS TANAKA (MFA) AND ENDO (MITI)

1. As you know, I attended both a lunch and a dinner in honour of Sir Julian Ridsdale yesterday 14 December. At the lunch I was placed next to Mr Otohiko Endo, MITI Parliamentary Vice Minister. I took the opportunity, following your lead, to tell him about the proposed visit by the President of the Board of Trade on (effectively) 11 January. I said that he would not of course yet know about this as we had only just raised it with his officials. He was very welcoming and also understanding about the health considerations which made it difficult for us to consider a longer programme than one working day. While of course we shall want the President to meet the Minister rather than just Mr Endo, his comments give us something to build on.

2.

I

then asked him about the political situation following the decision on rice. He was very frank. The Government now had to concentrate on the economy. That was what the people wanted and popularity would decline if they seemed indifferent to it. Of course whatever they do the economy would get worse. But as well as being seen to be concerned about it, the inevitable attacks from the Opposition on the issue would serve to strengthen solidarity among the coalition parties. Obviously that would mean postponing completing political reform until later, probably well into 1994. But hardly anyone would expect the Prime Minister to fulfil his undertaking to resign if the issue were not resolved by the end of this year. He had done much in getting it through the Lower House, the Upper House was less important, and everyone could see that the delays were of the Opposition's making, not the Prime Minister's. On that scenario, rearrangement of constituency boundaries could wait and no new election need be held for a considerable time. I found this a franker and more structured account of likely tactics than one would get from a Japanese politician less experienced in Western thinking than Mr Endo, but the net result in terms of what actually happens might well be not so different.

A

3. In the evening I attended a dinner hosted by the MFA in honour of Sir Julian at which Mr Hitoshi Tanaka was present. wide range of subjects was discussed, but it is worth recording what was said about Hong Kong and the UNSC.

pamin5.262

RESTRICTED

14.