US embassy cable - 90TOKYO3841

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. 
 
------------------------------ 
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