Cable No. 3007 from Ambassador Hashimoto Hiroshi (China) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 'The Prime Minister’s Visit to China (Meeting With General Secretary Jiang Zemin) (1 of 2)'

Confidential

Telegraphic Copy                                            [blacked out]   08-059

The Prime Minister’s Visit to China (Meeting With General Secretary Jiang Zemin) (1 of 2)

No. 3007         Confidential     Top Urgent      [blacked out]

(Divided Telegram)

In the morning of August 12, from 9:20 to 10:45, Prime Minister Kaifu Toshiki and General Secretary Jiang Zemin had a meeting. Following is a summary of its main points. (Present from our side were Foreign Minister Nakayama Taro; Ishihara Nobuo, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Tanino Sakutaro, Director-General of the Asian Affairs Bureau; Sadaaki Numata, Director-General for Press and Public Diplomacy; Miyamoto Yuji, Director of the China Division; Hashimoto Hiroshi, Ambassador to China; and others. Present from the other side were He Guangyuan, Minister of Machine-Building and Electronics Industry; Xu Dunxin, Vice Foreign Minister; Yang Zhenya, Ambassador to Japan; Wu Dawei, Director of the Japanese Affairs Division; and others)

1. After General Secretary Jiang’s welcoming remarks, Prime Minister Kaifu said the following:

(1) This is my first visit to China as prime minister. It is a pleasure, Excellency, to have the opportunity today to meet you. Many people are working to overcome the unprecedented damage from the recent flooding, and I would like to offer my sincere sympathies. At your country’s request, our country is cooperating as much as we can. Also, His Majesty the Emperor expresses with a troubled heart his sympathies.

(2) There was a temporary period of stall and regression in relations between Japan and China due to the incident, but China is making efforts in its own way and is overcoming “June 4.” Japan also stated at the [G7] Summit that, for the sake of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, China must not be isolated and that the roles of both Japan and China in the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific and, in turn, the world are major ones. I am pleased that many efforts have been made and that mutual understanding has been deepening.

(3) As seen in the Gulf crisis, the world is turning from a bipolar one into a multipolar one and is becoming unstable and uncertain. For the sake of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, I would like to work for Japan and China to engage in continuous dialogue and cooperate.

(4) Next year is the 20^th anniversary of a major turning point, the normalization of diplomatic relations. I would like to express my respect for the various efforts of our many predecessors up to this day. I would like to make next year a “new bridge” to the twenty-first century. Carrying out frank dialogue and cooperation between Japan and China is important. Through youth exchanges in particular, mutual understanding is deepening and its range is broadening. I would like to enrich exchanges among youths, who will be responsible for the next generation.

2. In reply, General Secretary Jiang said the following:

(1) Relations between Japan and China, through the normalization of relations in 1972 and the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1978 were consistently very good until the political turmoil in 1989. After this turmoil, relations stalled for a time. However, relations between Japan and China have gradually been recovering for a little more than two years. Prime Minister Kaifu, you have made a fine contribution to the recovery and promotion of relations between Japan and China. I am well aware of your efforts at the [G7] Summit last year and this year to lift the economic sanctions against China. I am happy that you are the first among the leaders of the Summit countries to have visited China. I highly appreciate, Prime Minister, the contributions that you have made in developing and promoting relations between Japan and China and to promoting the lifting of economic sanctions against China.

(2) Japan and China are neighboring countries, separated only by a narrow strip of water, with a history of 2,000 years of exchanges. In particular, cultural exchanges have been of “long standing and well established.” In the flow of this history, there was an unfortunate period, but it is good that both sides are responding positively. The invitation at our bilateral summit from the Japanese side to a thousand youths is a wonderful proposal. The young generation must continue our friendship. When I (Jiang) meet the leaders of various countries, I sometimes express my views on youth education. In China, we are telling Chinese youths that they should forget the good and bad from the past and explore the future. I would like you in Japan to conduct education for a correct understanding of past history and educate students about the grave damage caused to China. I believe that if both sides adopt such an attitude, then relations between Japan and China will further develop and cooperation in economic, scientific, cultural, and other fields will advance. I am also well aware that the Third Yen Loan that former Prime Minister Takeshita pledged on his visit to China is being implemented steadily under your leadership, Prime Minister Kaifu. There are beneficial conditions to cooperation between Japan and China, which some other countries have difficulty attaining. From the vantage point of the history of cultural exchanges, there is much in common between Japan and China. I think that Japanese people have a deeper understanding in regard to China’s classical culture that Chinese youths do. I (Jiang) have studied the Chinese classics since elementary school, but Chinese youths seem not to have a good understanding of the classics. Rather, Japanese seem to have a better knowledge of them. For example, Chinese youth do not attach much importance to calligraphy, but in Japan there is a rather deep understanding of calligraphy. Also, as with the word “university student,” there also are many written words where the pronunciation is quite similar and the characters are the same. In this way, having a mutual understanding of culture and tradition is a great advantage when Japan and China engage in cooperation. It also goes without saying that geographical proximity is also an advantage. Mutual cooperation between Japan and China is good not only for Japan and China but for the Asia-Pacific region and, in turn, the entire world.

(3) The type of social system that a country adopts is for that country itself to decide. The type of social system adopted is closely related to such things as each country’s history, traditions, economy, culture, and level of development. I think that it was Premier Li Peng who said that it is impossible for one country to control everything in this world, which should be multipolar. I (Jiang) am an engineer. When we conduct experiments in the natural sciences, even if the methods are diverse, the results obtained will be similar. Among social systems, there are mainly two: capitalism and socialism. China has chosen socialism, but we will not impose it on other countries. You cannot tell China to practice capitalism and not to practice socialism. With a peaceful international environment, the economy of one’s own country can be well developed.

(4) A natural disaster of a large scale that is seldom seen has occurred but we will certainly overcome it by “yifang younanbafang zhiyuan” (When one place is struck by disaster, assistance comes from all places.). Also, we are receiving assistance and support from the international community. The Yangtze River’s floodwaters have still not receded. I am hoping that there does not happen again an even larger disaster. I think that it is related to environmental issues, but a layer of sky is stalled above the Jiangsu-Huaihe [likely names, original text in katakana, not Chinese characters] area and there are no typhoons. Flood damage is said to have a cyclical character. There was major flooding in China in 1931. I (Jiang) was around four or five years old at the time and living in my hometown of Yangzhou. The whole area was flooded. I remember even now that people were moving about in boats and washtubs. This year is 1991, so that would be a 60-year cycle.

We have already received from Japan 500,000 dollars in assistance and now, on the occasion of this visit to China, another 1.5 million dollars in additional assistance. The flood damage this time is completely different from that in 1931. We were prepared for it and have received assistance from all sides. When a major disaster occurs, Chinese show their cohesive force and handle it in bringing all the people together. There has also been great concern and support from overseas Chinese, including fellow Chinese in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

(5) China in these past 10 years has promoted reform and opening, has increased its national power, and wishes to continue developing the Chinese economy in following its line of reform and opening. An important point is that some Western countries do not understand China’s economic system well. The economy that China is attempting to run is a planned commodity economy combining a planned economy and a market economy. They think that one cannot combine a market economy and a planned economy. I believe that if we make efforts in line with a policy of the commodity economy already established, then the economy will certainly develop.

(6) I came into contact with people from various fields in working in the State Administration Commission on Import and Export Affairs, special economic zones, and the electronics industry. I met even more people when I was the mayor of Shanghai. I once visited Japan before the normalization of relations to attend a conference of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). At that time, I visited Japan on a travel permit via Hong Kong. I believe that Prime Minister Kaifu’s visit on this occasion will promote the further development of exchanges in various fields. I sincerely wish for the success of this visit to China.

(End)