Cable No. 2612, Ambassador Yoshida to the Foreign Minister, 'Prime Minister's Visit to China (Courtesy Call on Premier Hua) (A)'

Number (TA) RO98286 5120

Primary: Asia and China

Sent:  China, December 06, 1979, 01:20

Received: MOFA, December 06, 1979, 02:30

To: The Foreign Minister  
From: Ambassador Yoshida

Prime Minister's Visit to China (Courtesy Call on Premier Hua) (A)

Number 2612　Top Urgent

Concerning Outgoing Telegram No. 2600

Prime Minister Ohira, accompanied by approximately 30 persons, from 4:30 on the afternoon of the 5^th, paid a courtesy call of approximately 15 minutes on Premier Hua in the Great Hall of the People (Reception Hall). It took place as follows:

1. First, Premier Hua spoke:

(1) I sincerely welcome Prime Minister Ohira and his group to China.

Prime Minister Ohira said the other day that he would visit China to blaze a broad path to make relations between Japan and China in the 1980s sound and unshakeable. I express my gratitude for this. If I may add to what he said in the car on the way from the airport, I would like to build relations of friendship and cooperation not only for the 1980s but for the long term. This is because relations of friendship and cooperation between China and Japan are useful for the peace and stability of the entire world.

(2) We attach great importance to Prime Minister Ohira's visit to China. We hope that, through Prime Minister Ohira's visit to China, the basis of friendly relations between China and Japan will be made firm for the 1980s and for the long term.

2.  In response, Prime Minister Ohira spoke as follows:

(1) I sincerely thank Premier Hua for personally coming to the airport to meet our group. It has been six years since our last visit to China, and we were looking forward to visiting Great China. I wish to express my complete agreement with prospects less for the 1980s than for the long term.

(2) China is a large country. While we know much about it, there is much that we do not know. In order to know more about such a China, in order to build good-neighborly and friendly relations, we are most pleased to have undertaken this visit to China.

It is not too early to have a candid exchange of opinions between our governments. I sincerely hope that, making the most of this opportunity for our two countries to know one another, we make firm the friendly relations between our two countries.

3. Premier Hua then handed to Prime Minister Ohira a photograph of a panda (Huan Huan), saying that Huan Huan would be cherished by the Japanese people and contribute to friendship between China and Japan. Prime Minister Ohira expressed gratitude, saying that Japan's children would certainly be happy, as would Kang Kang, who had lost Lan Lan. As an expression of gratitude, he said that he would like to send the monkey (note: orangutan) and the deer (note: sika deer) that the Chinese side had chosen. Premier Hua responded in expressing gratitude.

4.  Thus ended the courtesy call. The group then went to Anhui Hall, and the first summit meeting began.

(End)