CONFIDENTIAL
(Classification)
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
INR BRIEFING NOTE
TO:
The Director, INR
GIST: JAPAN/CHINA: Japan will probably not follow Canadian lead in recognizing Peking regime -- at least, not yet.
DATE: June 6, 1968
TIME: regular morning
COMMENTS CONTAINED IN INR BRIEFING NOTES ARE INITIAL AND TENTATIVE.
SOURCE(S)
Tokyo's 8959, Confidential
6/5/68
CLASS./CONTROL(S)
The Chief of the China section of the Foreign Ministry has told an Embassy Officer that so long as Sato is Premier, Japan is not likely to recognize the Chinese People's Republic. However, GOJ is unlikely to pressure the Canadians to refrain from recognizing the Peking regime.
Should Canada proceed to recognize Peking, the Chief of the China Section predicted that the political opposition and anti-Sato groups in the Liberal Democratic Party would attack the Sato government as "even more slavish in its attitude toward the US than the Canadians.
REA Comment: So far neither the Japanese press nor the parliamentary opposition has blaved up Prime Minister Trudeau's comment that he wants to recognize the Chinese Communist government. At the moment the press and the opposition are having a field day with the alleged radiation of Sasebo harbor and the crash of a US fighter aircraft at Kyushu University in Fukuoka. As interest in these issues wanes, attention is likely to focus again on the Sato government's position with regard to the recognition of Peking. Canadian recognition -- particularly if followed by the establishment of diplomatic relations -- would probably strengthen the public exposition of those factions of the Liberal Democratic Party who favor the establishment of relations with Peking and consequently weaken Sato's prospects for retaining the premiership following the elections for Party President in December.
INR OFFICE
REA
BRIEFER
Cheatham/Keogh
EXTENSION
1640
CONFIDENTIAL
(Classification)
From DS-1116
MW 31097 DocId:33061196 Page 131