THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
PARTICIPANTS:
Kakuei Tanaka, Prime
Minister of Japan
Kiyoshiko Tsurumi, Deputy Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sadaki Numata, Interpreter
The President
Major General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
DATE & TIME: Sunday, April 7, 1974; 10:15 a.m. PLACE: Residence
of the American Ambassador, Paris, France
The President's meeting with Prime Minister Tanaka lasted slightly less
than one hour, including a walk in the garden at the American
Ambassador's residence.
Tanaka led off the
meeting noting with pride that he had kept his pledge to achieve a
balance of trade and by asking for stable supply of agricultural
products like feed grain, wheat and soybeans. He said he now had almost
no economic problems with the Nine. Kosygin had met him at the
airport in Moscow and had urged the Siberian project on him. Tanaka had mentioned to Brandt
the possibility of German participation, and had received a fairly
neutral response. He said it would be good to have the participation of
a great power like the United States. The President responded that
Congress was very difficult on Soviet trade and credit but that he
favored U.S. participation. The problems were enormous, though, because
of the size of the project and the cost of gas, even though the recent
oil crisis had altered price structures. Tanaka said he would send the
United States data on seven or eight development projects the Soviets
are pushing.
In response to a question about relations with the PRC, Tanaka
said they were proceeding smoothly and trade, while still small, had
doubled recently.
He said relations with the USSR were all
right, but he told Brezhnev that until he returned the four Northern
Islands, there could be no peace treaty or good relations. He opined
that Soviet reluctance on the Islands related to the risk of setting a
possible precedent for border changes in East Europe after World War
II.
Tanaka said he
appreciated our getting the oil embargo lifted and said the energy issue
is a serious one, especially for the LDCs. He thought they would make
strong demands in the UN session.
The President asked if Japan thought we should get out of Asia
militarily. Tanaka
replied strongly in the negative. He said it would be an extremely
disturbing factor and that the U.S. military presence in Korea, Japan,
Okinawa and the Philippines was essential. The President replied there
was a strong isolationist trend in the United States but that he would
maintain U.S. commitments while welcoming a greater Japanese role in
Asia. Tanaka said his
people were very aware of the Soviet threat and he had told Brezhnev
that he should not give the Japanese too rough a time because they were
quite capable of nuclear weapons.
On China, he said it is a great country but with problems. Not in this
century would it develop Soviet-like power. The President responded that
the Soviets thought it would take only 10-15 years. Tanaka said Russians have a
pathological fear stemming from two centuries of broader disputes, but
historically the Chinese motives and direction had focused on internal
governing rather than on outward aggression. The West should encourage
China to open up because Chinese by nature believe in value of freedom —
look at the free enterprise proclivities of the overseas Chinese.
Tanaka closed with the
hope of welcoming the President to Japan, to which he replied "One day,
maybe later this year."
1 Source: National Archives,
Nixon
Presidential Materials, NSC Files,
Box 1028, Presidential/HAK Memcons, 1
March 1974–8 May 1974 [2 of 4]. Secret; Sensitive. The conversation
took place in the residence of the American Ambassador. A briefing
memorandum for the meeting is in the Ford Library, National
Security Adviser, Brent Scowcroft Daily Work Files, 1973–1977, Box 7,
Chronological File A, April 5–7, 1974 (Paris Trip).