Cable No. 3004 from Ambassador Hashimoto Hiroshi (China) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 'The Prime Minister’s Visit to China and Mongolia (Meeting of the Japanese and Chinese Foreign Ministers)'

Secret

The Prime Minister’s Visit to China and Mongolia (Meeting of the Foreign Ministers)

No. 3004         Secret              Top Urgent

(Limited Distribution)

Concerning Outgoing Telegram No. 3000

Following is the part of the outgoing telegram concerning the Korean Peninsula in the meeting between the Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers:

1. Foreign Minister Nakayama Taro, noting that it is an issue that normally would be raised by the Prime Minister at the summit meeting, said the following:

(A) There has been information that North Korea is constructing a nuclear reprocessing facility. If this is true, given that North Korea is not generating electricity by nuclear power, then this will become a source of instability on the Korean Peninsula and, therefore, will be undesirable for Japan and China.

(B) This matter is an extremely serious issue. If this reprocessing facility is not built [end of line, beginning of next one blacked out] will be possible [part of line blacked out] can be realized.

(C) Therefore, I hope that the Chinese side will make an approach to the North Korean side.

2. Foreign Minister Qian Qichen said in response the following:

(A) To be frank regarding this matter, it is a matter of great concern for China as well. [rest of line, all of following line blacked out]

(B) We have also had exchanges of views among the P5 [TN: the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council] regarding this issue. The Chinese side has not provided any relevant technology or equipment. When we sounded out the Soviet Union, [the Soviet side said that] the Soviet Union had once provided North Korea with a nuclear reactor, but [rest of section blacked out]

(C) [entire section, two lines, blacked out]

(D) China appealed to North Korea, arguing that so long as North Korea did not accept International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, Pyongyang would not be able to gain the international community’s understanding on this issue.

[rest of line, first part of next line blacked out] The Chinese side said that China was also opposed to the presence of nuclear weapons in South Korea. When the IAEA persuaded Pyongyang that the inspections were to ensure that limits were not exceeded from the perspective of peaceful use, North Korea recently changed its stance and announced its intent to conclude with the IAEA a safeguards agreement. Together with that, North Korea withdrew some reservations previously made concerning it.

(E) I look forward to being able, through joint efforts, to eliminate nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula. If that happens, then it does not matter whether we call it a nuclear free zone or not.

Passed to diplomatic missions in the United States, the Republic of Korea, and the Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament. (End)