Tokyo, 5 June 1971
Confidential
I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 19th May, 1971,1 which you have entrusted to Ambassador Shizuo Saito on his temporary return to Japan on the occasion of the visit to Japan of the Hon. J.D. Anthony, Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia. 2
At the outset, I should like to express my great respect for the outstanding insight and understanding that you have shown concerning a problem which is among the most important international issues of concern to Japan at this moment, the question of the representation of China in the United Nations. I highly appreciate the fact that you intend to handle this complicated and difficult problem cautiously and pragmatically from a long-range point of view.
Japan is located geographically in close proximity to China and has entertained since ancient times a very close relationship with her in all fields. It is therefore most unfortunate, in the view of Japan, that today the two authorities, the Government of the Republic of China and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, are confronting each other across the Taiwan Strait, each of them claiming to be the sole legitimate government of all China.
Japan signed the peace treaty with the Government of the Republic of China and has ever since maintained a very close and intimate relationship with that Government. At the same time, there have been contacts with mainland China at the non-official level. The Japanese Government for its part hopes to improve the present unnatural state of affairs with the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the basis of the principle of mutual respect for each other’s position and the principle of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. In this spirit, the Japanese Government has announced that the Government is prepared to enter into talks with the Government of the People’s Republic of China at any time and place on the Government level.
On the question of the participation of the Government of the People’s Republic in the United Nations, I am inclined to feel that this is desirable as far as it goes, when examined from various angles. Nevertheless, I firmly believe, at the same time, that a situation should not be permitted to occur where as the price of the participation of the Government of the People’s Republic, the Government of the Republic of China, which is one of the founding members of the United Nations and which has up till today faithfully carried out the obligations under the Charter, be [sic] in effect arbitrarily expelled from the United Nations.
I stand for the position that the problems between the Government of the Republic of China and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, including the question of the representation in the United Nations, should properly be solved peacefully through negotiations between the two parties. In the meantime, and until a final settlement of the problems is brought about through such negotiations, one possible way to meet the situation on the question of the representation of China in the United Nations this coming autumn may be to base ourselves on the fact that side by side with the Government of the Republic of China, there exists on mainland China the Government of the People’s Republic of China, and to accept the participation of the two Governments in the United Nations on that basis.
I am pleased to note that both here in Tokyo and in Canberra close contacts have been maintained on this question. I might also add that your Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Anthony, had very frank and useful talks on this question with me personally and also with the Foreign Minister, Mr. Aichi. What we told him then will, I believe, serve to confirm what I have stated here and further to clarify it.
I am determined to meet this most difficult problem in close consultation and cooperation with you, Mr. Prime Minister, and earnestly hope that a fair and just solution to the problem will eventually emerge from our joint efforts.
With my best wishes for your health and success.
[NAA: A1838, 3107/38/18, xii]
- 1 Document 183.
- 2 Anthony visited Japan between 25 May and 1 June.