Cable No. 643, Ambassador Shimazu (Taipei) to the Foreign Minister, 'Visit of Defense Minister Chiang Ching-kuo'

Visit of Defense Minister Chiang Ching-kuo

No. 643           Encoded          Special Secret

Re: Your Telegram Protocol No. 628

1. I understand that Diet Member Tamaki Kazuo, while here [Taiwan] from September 30 to October 4 stayed at the Hsinchu Pavilion [TN: literal translation, name unconfirmed] in Beitou, to which House of Councillors Member Hasegawa had introduced him; that he met people related to the Seicho-no-Ie and saw sites in and outside of Taipei; and that he visited the [Japanese] embassy and spoke with embassy members (Yamamoto and Iijima). I also understand that, through Chou Meihou [TN: Chinese name unknown; document refers to him only by Japanese phonetic script, no identifying Chinese characters], owner of the Hsinchu Pavilion in Beitou, that he met and spoke with Lee Huan (by request in the company of Yamamoto), director of Kuomintang (KMT) Central Party Committee First Section. After Diet Member Tamaki returned to Japan, Yamamoto heard from Lee Huan that Tamaki seems not to have met directly with Minister Chiang [Ching-kuo].

2. According to Yamamoto, when Diet Member Tamaki met and spoke with Lee Huan, Tamaki said that he would organize some kind of gatherings for welcoming him and seeing him off at the airport when Minister Chiang visited Japan. Therefore, it is presumed that Diet Member Tamaki may have told the Chief of Protocol that, given that Lee Huan is one of Minister Chiang’s confidants, Chiang himself had agreed to it and spoken of it to members of this Embassy.

3. According to Yamamoto, Lee Huan at that time seemed to show no particular reaction. On October 13, however, when Hara met with Wei Ching-meng (James Wei), a member of Minister Chiang’s inner circle and the director of the Government Information Office (a cabinet-level agency), Wei said, even though Hara had not raised the issue, that Chiang Ching-kuo, a shy and serious man, had said that when he visited Japan he would do his best to learn about Japan and that he did not wish to do anything that would draw attention to himself.

4. It is conceivable that Wei does not know about Diet Member Tamaki’s statement to Lee Huan, but among well-informed sources here it has become an accepted idea that Minister Chiang does not like flashy displays. Accordingly, it is believed that this issue can be handled according to the Ministry’s good sense as simply an internal matter on the Japanese side.

To the Director of Telegraphic Section: In consultation with the Chief of Protocol, please limit recipients of this telegram to a minimum.

(End)