Cable No. 1531, Ambassador Sato to the Foreign Minister, 'Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China Negotiations (11th Meeting)'

Number: (TA) R056009     5520

Primary: Asian Affairs Bureau Director-General

Sent: China, August 4, 1978, 18:25

Received: MOFA, August 4, 1978, 19:43

To: The Foreign Minister      

From: Ambassador Sato

Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China Negotiations (11th Meeting)

No. 1531 Secret Top Urgent

(Limited Distribution)

Outgoing Telegram 1530 Separate Telegram

First, I will state our view on a sole point concerning Vice Minister Han’s statement in yesterday’s meeting. Vice Minister Han spoke to the effect that Japan’s draft is one bowing under Soviet pressure. I have repeatedly explained to the Chinese side our country’s Soviet policy, but I would like to declare again here that, in concluding the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China, our country does not worry about Soviet thinking and does not bow to Soviet pressure. When the Chinese side is under the impression that Japan is afraid of the Soviet Union and worries about its thinking, when the Chinese side perceives on that premise the Japanese side’s statements and proposals, then I cannot but think that it will be difficult for us in these negotiations to expand points in common and find a settlement satisfactory to both sides.

Yesterday Vice Minister Han said that the Chinese side sincerely hopes for the treaty’s early conclusion. The Japanese side, too, no less than the Chinese side, hopes for the treaty’s early conclusion. The Japanese side, the same as the Chinese side, firmly believes that an early conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship on the basis of the Japan-China Joint Communique is in conformity with the interests and desires of our two countries and the peoples of our two countries. Taking such a position, the Government of Japan decided to present the following new proposal, focused on the overall situation from a political angle and equally and fully taking into account the positions of both sides.

Our proposal is to replace Sentence 1, Article 3, of the Japanese side’s treaty draft with “This treaty must not be understood as influencing the position of either contracting party concerning relations with any third country.”

First, in our meetings to date, both sides have recognized that Japan and China each has an independent diplomatic policy and that neither interferes in the diplomatic policy of the other. The Japanese side’s new proposal attempts to make clear this point.

Second, I think that we were able to have the Chinese side’s understanding in regard to our country’s setting as its basic diplomatic policy that of working to maintain and develop friendly relations with any country. The Japanese side would like to make clear that neither Japan nor China’s basic diplomatic policy will be in any way affected by this treaty.

Our side’s new proposal, which fully respects the Chinese side’s thinking and minimally satisfies our country’s aforementioned thinking, is one obtained as the result of careful and painstaking examination between my country’s government and this delegation.

The Japanese side is not saying that opposition to hegemony is not directed against the Soviet Union, nor do we intend to say such a thing from this point hereafter. Whether the Soviet Union or any other country, if there is a country that seeks hegemony, adopting a position of opposition to it is the position of both Japan and China, which is specified in the Japan-China Joint Communique. Our side’s new proposal today in no way changes such a steadfast position of our country.

I have thus explained the Japanese side’s new proposal. I think that this draft is one that the Japanese side has made with maximum consideration for the positions of the Japanese and Chinese sides and that surely will be able to have the Chinese side’s understanding.  I sincerely hope that the Chinese side will carefully examine this draft and agree to it.

(End)