Clinton and Hosokawa discuss US-Japan economic ties.
February 12, 1994
Cable No. 1458, Ambassador Kuriyama to the Foreign Minister, 'Japan-United States Summit Meeting (Working Lunch, Separate Telegram 1: Energy, Other Issues)'
Number: [TN: blacked out]
Primary: North American Affairs Bureau Director-General
Sent: United Nations, February 12, 1994, [TN: time blacked out]
Received: MOFA, February 13, 1994, [TN: time blacked out]
To: The Foreign Minister
From: Ambassador Kuriyama
Japan-United States Summit Meeting (Working Lunch, Separate Telegram 1: Energy, Other Issues)
No. 1458 Secret Top Urgent
(Limited Distribution)
Outgoing Telegram No. 1457 Separate Telegram 1: Energy, Other Issues
(Clinton) Hillary is leading the athlete delegation to the Lillehammer Olympics.
(Gore) Lillehammer has set a new standard for the Winter Olympics on environmental issues.
(Prime Minister) Environmental issues are related as well to the automobile sectors of Japan and the United States. I know that the United States has been promoting the development of hydrogen engines. Would it not have a good effect on the environment if our two countries undertook to develop this as a joint national project?
(Gore) Cooperation between the United States and Japan is already moving ahead, but we have not focused on hydrogen engines. We are looking for alternatives to gasoline engines. I think that we will have a breakthrough in the next 10 years, but continuing cooperation between the United States and Japan would be meaningful.
(Prime Minister) Is research progressing on making solar batteries efficient?
(Gore) According to the experts in Detroit, cooperation between the United States and Japan is making progress, but a breakthrough is not expected any time soon. Research on the Japanese side may be ahead. Commercialization of hybrid cars that use electricity in combination with other power is near.
(Perry) Hydrogen engines are possible in the long term, but hybrid cars can be developed using current technology. Exhaust emissions do not go away, but it is possible to greatly reduce them. They also have a greater range than electric vehicles. US and Japanese companies should pursue cooperation on this.
(Foreign Minister) Japan has few natural resources, so I think that we should take positive action on such issues. We are also starting to budget for this. (End)
The US and Japan discuss cooperation in the development of hydrogen engines and hybrid engines for automobiles.
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Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, File No. 2014-00540. Translated by Stephen Mercado.
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