Cablegate: Foreign Minister Nakayama's March 2 Foreign

O 021017Z MAR 90
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDAITE 7087
INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY SEOUL
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
AMEMBASSY MANILA
OECD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 03841

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PREL JA
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER NAKAYAMA'S MARCH 2 FOREIGN
- POLICY SPEECH TO THE DIET

1. (LOU) SUMMARY: FOREIGN MINISTER NAKAYAMA'S MARCH
2 SPEECH TO THE DIET ON JAPAN'S FOREIGN POLICY IN THE
COMING YEAR CONTAINED NO SURPRISES BUT SEVERAL
INTERESTING SHIFTS OF NUANCE. NAKAYAMA STRESSED THE
CENTRALITY OF JAPAN-U.S. ECONOMIC AND SECURITY
RELATIONS TO JAPAN'S OVERALL FOREIGN POLICY BUT PLACED
IT IN THE CONTEXT OF A TRILATERAL RELATIONSHIP ALSO
INCLUDING EUROPE. SIGNIFICANTLY, HE DID NOT MENTION A
THREAT FROM THE SOVIET UNION AS A BASIS FOR THE
SECURITY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S., REFERRING INSTEAD
TO THE STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC
REGION. NAKAYAMA DESCRIBED THE STRUCTURAL IMPEDIMENTS
INITIATIVE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE ON THE
BILATERAL AGENDA AND COMMITTED HIMSELF TO DOING ALL
THAT HE CAN FOR PROGRESS IN THIS AREA. ON ASIA,
NAKAYAMA REITERATED STANDARD THEMES IN RECENT
DIPLOMACY. HE PLACED A RELATIVELY BRIEF DISCUSSION OF
SOVIET RELATIONS AFTER THAT ON ASIA, OFFERING NOTHING
NEW TO THE SOVIET UNION. NAKAYAMA REAFFIRMED THE
THREE PILLARS OF JAPAN'S INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
INITIATIVE ESTABLISHED BY PRIME MINISTER TAKESHITA:
PEACEKEEPING, ODA AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES. ON GLOBAL
ISSUES, HE PLEDGED SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
TO COMBAT DESTRUCTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, DRUGS AND
TERRORISM. END SUMMARY.

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U.S.-JAPAN BILATERAL RELATIONS
------------------------------

2. (U) FOLLOWING AN INTRODUCTION THAT DWELLED ON THE
RAPID PACE OF CHANGE IN THE WORLD AND THE NEED FOR
JAPAN TO HARNESS ITS ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL POWER
IN ACTIVE DIPLOMACY, NAKAYAMA PLACED RELATIONS WITH
THE U.S. AND REPEAT AND EUROPE FIRST AMONG REGIONAL
ISSUES. HE STRESSED THE IMPORTANT OF THE TRILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP TO THE BUILDING OF A NEW INTERNATIONAL
ORDER. TURNING IN THIS CONTEXT TO THE BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S., NAKAYAMA:

--EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF U.S. JAPAN BILATERAL
ECONOMIC AND SECURITY RELATIONS, NOTING THE NEED FOR
CLOSER POLICY COORDINATION NOT ONLY ON BILATERAL
ISSUES BUT ON GLOBAL PROBLEMS AS WELL;

--STRESSED THAT THE STRUCTURAL IMPEDIMENTS INITIATIVE
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE ON THE BILATERAL AGENDA
AND THAT HE WILL DO ALL THAT HE CAN TO ACHIEVE PROGRESS;

--SAID THAT HE WILL ACCOMPANY THE PRIME MINISTER TO
THE U.S. FOR THE MARCH 2-3 SUMMIT AND WILL DO HIS
UTMOST TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS; AND

--DESCRIBED THE SECURITY TREATY AS THE FOUNDATION OF
U.S.-JAPAN RELATIONS AND SAID JAPAN IS COMMITTED TO
FIRMLY MAINTAINING THE TREATY AND ENSURING ITS
"SMOOTHER FUNCTIONING;"

DISCUSSING THE SECURITY RELATIONSHIP, NAKAYAMA NOTED
THAT, DESPITE DEVELOPMENTS IN EAST-WEST RELATIONS, THE
BALANCE OF POWER AND DETERRENCE CONTINUE TO BE THE
UNDERPINNINGS OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS. HE DID NOT
REFER TO A THREAT FROM THE SOVIET UNION BUT DESCRIBED
U.S.-JAPAN SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS AS CONTRIBUTING
BROADLY TO THE STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE
ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.

------
EUROPE
------

3. STRESSING THE NEED FOR FOR CLOSER JAPANESE
BILATERAL TIES WITH EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, NAKAYAMA
CALLED FOR BROAD EXPANSION OF THE TRILATERAL
U.S.-JAPAN-EUROPE RELATIONSHIP. HE NOTED JAPAN'S
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE FOR POLAND THE HUNGARY, ASCRIBING
IT TO AN AWARENESS THAT THE EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN
EASTERN EUROPE ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PEACE AND
PROSPERITY OF THE WORLD AS A WHOLE, INCLUDING JAPAN.

---------------------------------------
JAPANESE RELATIONS WITH ASIAN COUNTRIES
---------------------------------------

4. (U) COMMENTING ON ASIA, THE FOREIGN MINISTER:

--URGED THE TWO KOREAS TO CONTINUE THEIR DIALOGUE,
WELCOMED A POSSIBLE VISIT TO JAPAN BY ROK PRESIDENT
ROH TAE WU, AND EXPRESSED THE GOJ'S INTEREST IN
CONDUCTING A DIALOGUE WITH NORTH KOREA AND SUPPORTING
"LATERAL EXCHANGES" BETWEEN THE JAPANESE AND NORTH
KOREAN PEOPLE;

--NOTED THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR CHINA TO AVOID
ISOLATING ITSELF AND THAT IMPROVEMENT IN RELATIONS
BETWEEN CHINA AND THE WEST WILL REQUIRE EFFORTS ON
BOTH SIDES;

--EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE COUP ATTEMPT IN
THE PHILIPPINES, SUPPORTED FURTHER EFFORTS TO
CONSOLIDATE DEMOCRACY, AND INDICATED JAPAN'S CONTINUED
BACKING FOR THE MAI;

--TOOK NOTE OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT ON AN ENHANCED
UN ROLE IN CAMBODIA AND POINTED OUT JAPAN'S INTENTION
TO CONTRIBUTE NOT ONLY TO CAMBODIAN RECONSTRUCTION BUT
TO THE PEACE PROCESS AS WELL;

--ACKNOWLEDGED JAPAN'S INTEREST IN PROMOTING RELATIONS
WITH THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT, AND

--EXPRESSED THE GOJ'S SUPPORT FOR APEC AND THE
PROMOTION OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF ASIA-PACIFIC
COOPERATION.

-------------------------------
RELATIONS WITH THE SOVIET UNION
-------------------------------

5. (LOU) NAKAYAMA HAD NOTHING NEW TO OFFER ON
RELATIONS WITH THE SOVIETS IN EITHER SUBSTANCE OR
NUANCE. HE REITERATED THE GOJ'S SUPPORT FOR
PERESTROIKA BUT CONDITIONED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
RELATIONSHIP ON MOVEMENT ON THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES
ISSUE.

----------------------------------
MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA, LATIN AMERICA
----------------------------------

6. (U) NAKAYAMA COUCHED HIS COMMENTS ON THE MIDDLE
EAST, AFRICA, AND LATIN AMERICA IN TERMS OF JAPAN'S
NEED TO DEVELOP A MORE GLOBAL FOREIGN POLICY. HE:

--RECALLED THE 1989 VISITS TO JAPAN OF ARAFAT AND
ARENS AND JAPAN'S INTENTION TO MAKE FURTHER
CONTRIBUTIONS TO MIDDLE EAST PEACE;

--EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE CHANGES IN SOUTH
AFRICA LEADING TO THE RELEASE OF NELSON MANDELA;
SUPPORTED A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT OF THE APARTHEID
PROBLEM; AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE TO THE VICTIMS OF
APARTHEID AND ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO SOUTH AFRICA'S
NEIGHBORS;

--LAUDED THE ELECTION IN NICARAGUA AS AN IMPORTANT
STEP TOWARD PEACE IN THE REGION AND PROMISED CONTINUED
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF
LATIN AMERICA.

-------------------------
THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY
-------------------------

7. (U) COMMENTING ON JAPAN'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE
WORLD ECONOMY, NAKAYAMA:

--CALLED FOR JAPAN TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN
INCREASING POLICY COORDINATION AMONG THE INDUSTRIAL
DEMOCRACIES THROUGH THE ANNUAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT;

--EMPHASIZED JAPAN'S NEED TO RECTIFY ITS TRADE
IMBALANCE THROUGH, INTER ALIA, IMPROVING FOREIGN
ACCESS TO JAPANESE MARKETS;

--COMMITTED THE GOJ TO DOING ALL THAT IT CAN TO ENSURE
THE SUCCESS OF THE URUGUAY ROUND.

--------------------------------------------- ------
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION INITIATIVE, GLOBAL ISSUES
--------------------------------------------- ------

8. (U) FINALLY, NAKAYAMA REAFFIRMED THE GOJ'S 1988
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION INITIATIVE, IN WHICH THE GOJ
COMMITTED ITSELF TO COOPERATION WITH UN PEACE KEEPING
ACTIVITIES, EXPANSION OF OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANCE (ODA), AND INCREASED CULTURAL TIES TO OTHER
COUNTRIES. HE SAID THAT JAPAN WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND
AND INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ODA.

9. NAKAYAMA PLEDGED THAT JAPAN WOULD DRAW ON ITS
WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE ITS
COOPERATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. HE ADDED THAT
JAPAN WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE UN AND OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN COMBATTING THE DRUG
PROBLEM. HE ALSO STATED THAT JAPAN WILL STRENGTHEN
ITS COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO PREVENT
TERRORIST ACTS.

BREER

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