Record of the Fourth Meeting between Prime Minister Tanaka and Premier Zhou Enlai

Top Secret Indefinite

Prime Minister Tanaka [Kakuei]-Premier Zhou Enlai

(1972 September 25th ~ 28th)

- Japan-China Diplomatic Normalization Negotiations Record -

Asia Bureau, China Section

[…]

In Attendance

Japan

Prime Minister Tanaka

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ohira [Masayoshi]

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nikaido [Susumu]

China Section Chief Hashimoto [Hiroshi]

China

Premier Zhou Enlai

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ji Pengfei

Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Liao Chengzhi

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Han Nianlong

(Note: The following record was typed in September 1988 from the original normalization negotiation records)

[…]

Fourth Summit Meeting (September 28th)

Premier Zhou: I want to discuss the Taiwan issue today.

What shall we do tomorrow?

(Premier Zhou raised the topic of the signing ceremony and the schedules for the 20th and the departure of the 30th. Details will be discussed between China Section Chief Hashimoto and the chief of protocol. )

I want to hear from Japan with regard to Taiwan. I became acquainted with Jiang Jieshi [Chiang Kai-shek] in 1924. I have collaborated with the Nationalist Party on two occasions. We fought them, also, on two occasions. I know the Nationalist Party and Government elites over the age of fifty very well. It is a secret meeting, so I want you to say anything that is on your mind.

FM Ohira: At last tomorrow is the day that Japan-Taiwan relations will be resolved. (Foreign Minister Ohira slowly and deliberately read the attached document. Premier Zhou and the Chinese delegation listened intently)

(Attachment)

Japan-Taiwan Relations after Japan-China Diplomatic Normalization

1. As a result of diplomatic normalization between Japan and China, our country’s diplomatic relationship with the government in actual control of Taiwan will be resolved. This is an obvious point, but we wanted to make it as clear as possible. At the same time, trade between Japan and Taiwan last year surpassed $1.2 billion, and 180,000 Japanese and 50,000 Taiwanese citizens visited each other’s countries. As this fact shows, it cannot be ignored that there is a substantial and varied exchange between Japan and Taiwan being conducted, and that Japanese citizens have empathy towards Taiwan.

2. The Japanese government will continue to not take the ‘Two Chinas’ stance, will not support any ‘Taiwanese independence movements,’ and does not harbor any designs on Taiwan. We hope for your trust in the Japanese government in this regard. At the same time, even after diplomatic normalization between Japan and China, the following various issues concerning Taiwan can be expected to remain:

(1) The government will need to expend effort in ensuring the life and assets of Japanese citizens in Taiwan (Current estimate: 3,900 Japanese with additional Japanese tourists)

(2) Because our nation is a democratic system, we cannot restrain travel, trade, and other citizen-level interactions between Japan and Taiwan as long as the activity does not harm Japan-China relations.  

(3) Similar to (2), the government cannot but approve of economic exchanges conducted at the citizen-level.

(4) As long travel and trade between Japan and Taiwan continues, similar to (2) and (3), we cannot but approve of ships and airplanes coming and going.

3. Although our embassy and consulates in Taiwan will lose their official status after diplomatic normalization between Japan and China, in order to manage the various issues raised above, the offices must continue to function as necessary. Even after we fully withdraw our embassy and consulates, we believe that there will be the need to mutually establish civilian-level offices or contact points. We hope to gain China’s understanding regarding this point.

4. Furthermore, after diplomatic relations between Japan and China are established, we will need to explain Japan-Taiwan relations to the Diet and press using the above rationales. We hope to gain your understanding regarding this point.

Premier Zhou: Is Japan envisioning the exchange of a memorandum office? Will Taiwan agree to the establishment of such an office? Would it not be better for Japan to take the leadership role and establish an office in Taiwan first?

(Note from China Section Chief Hashimoto: Premier Zhou and the Chinese delegation had concerned faces as if FM Ohira or PM Tanaka may bring up some difficult points on Taiwan. However, as soon as FM Ohira finished his statement, they all looked relieved. They did not explicitly say that they agreed, but they nodded as if in tacit approval.)

FM Ohira – PM Tanaka: Yes, we are thinking of something like a memorandum office.

Premier Zhou: Until an official Chinese embassy is established in Japan, we want for Xiao Xiangqian to represent the Chinese government.

PM Tanaka: That is fine.

Premier Zhou: Who will represent Japan? The person representing the memorandum office in Beijing is [redacted].

PM Tanaka: (He asked the China Section Chief and FM Ohira to ask what should be done? The China Section Chief told him that in China there is currently [redacted] from the Foreign Ministry and [redacted] from the MITI [Ministry of International Trade and Industry]. PM Tanaka was not familiar with them.)

China Section Chief Hashimoto will represent the Japanese Government. Therefore, until embassies are established, communication between our governments will be handled by Hashimoto and Xiao Xiangqian.

As to who will represent the Japanese memorandum office in Beijing, we will notify you at a later date.

Premier Zhou: That is fine. Then it is decided that communication between our governments will be handled by Hashimoto and Xiao Xiangqian.

We have heard that during the press conference following FM Ohira’s signing, an announcement will be made regarding the severing of Japan-Taiwan diplomatic ties. We welcome this greatly. We are thankful for both Ministers Tanaka and Ohira’s fidelity. China will also follow through with the things it has promised. There is a proverb in China: “Promises must be kept, and actions must be resolute.”  

I want to start establishing a new relationship between Japan and China.

PM Tanaka: We came to China with an especially strong conviction. With FM Ohira’s press conference tomorrow, we will clarify the Taiwan issue. We will stick to the conviction that in order to follow through on our responsibilities, we must overcome difficulties and fully execute our tasks. We hope for your understanding that as the leader of Japan, I will take carry out my responsibilities and make great effort in all aspects of this task.

The Liberal Democratic Party is currently undergoing a party violation issue. While I am the Prime Minister, I am also the Party President. I hope to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.

There are many issues surrounding Taiwan, but we hope for your understanding regarding the minimal measures that FM Ohira mentioned that we will need to take with Taiwan.

Premier Zhou: I was hoping to discuss that topic as well.

PM Tanaka: We will notify you in advance regarding the specifics of the measures to be taken with Taiwan. However, Taiwan is saying that they will return to a state of war following the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. As the Prime Minister of Japan, I am very troubled.

Premier Zhou:  Regarding the “state of war,” we thought very deeply about the wording of our joint statement.

We have also reported to the United States.

FM Ohira: We will notify you if more problems arise between Japan and Taiwan.

Premier Zhou: Although Jiang Jieshi is very ill, He Yingqin and Zhang Qun are very easy to work with. These two pay attention to the direction of the wind and act accordingly. Gu Zhenggang is also only full of words. He has no one powerful backing him.

Zhang Qun is from Sichuan. He Yingqin and Gu Zhenggang are from Guizhou. However, the Jiang father and son do not trust these men very much. They are worried that they will lose their power to these men. Shen Changhuan is not one to go to extremes. The greater problem is Jingguo. Jiang Jingguo [Chiang Ching-kuo] is more prone to trickery, while his father is drawn to bigger ideas. Jiang Jieshi will not hand over the army to anyone. The reason that Jiang Jieshi does not go to the United States or Japan is to avoid the fae of Ngo Dinh Diem and Rhee Syngman.

A weakness of Jingguo is that he does not have good relations with the graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy. The Ambassador in Japan, Peng Mengji, is also a graduate of the Academy. Peng does not want to return to Taiwan. Aside from Chen Daqing [Chen Ta-ching], Jingguo is rejecting Whampoa graduates.

Yen Jiagan [Yen Chia-kan] is handling economy and trade. In order for Taiwan to prosper they must rely on the outside world in two respects. One is military assistance, which it cannot but help ask the United States for. The other is trade, which Yen Jiagan is handling. Without trade the Taiwanese cannot survive, and without foreign debt they cannot finance their army of 500,000 men. There is also the issue of how the two to three million mainlanders and native Taiwanese will relate.

There are these weaknesses in Taiwan. The Taiwanese will cause little troubles, but they cannot afford to cause large disturbances. This is called trickery.

PM Tanaka: With regard to the Taiwan issue, the issue lies in Japanese domestic issues, especially within the Liberal Democratic Party. Before coming to China, I told former Prime Minister Sato [Eisaku] my conviction. He fully understood what I said. The Taiwan issue will test Ohira’s and my own political resolve. However, for the sake of Japan-China history, we are ready to take on such struggles.

Premier Zhou: If you try to accomplish something, there are always those who will oppose you.

PM Tanaka: The final reason that convinced me to normalize relations with China was because I thought that China (the Communist Party) is not trying to make the entire world communist, that they are trying to unify greater China, and that they are not motivated by international communism.

Premier Zhou: It is first important to make your own country great, other countries should worry about their own issues. Henceforth, I want for Japan-China relations to be close as possible. I want to start with air traffic.

PM Tanaka: That is fine with me.