raaW AFFAIRS
VE NQ DATE
M/ 153 October 1973
PRIM~ E MINISTER AT JAPAN
PRESS CLUB
The following are the introductory remarks
b, 2y6 MWtOhhceitr tolbPaer mri,, m e taoMn id ntihsesu tbeJsrae pqauanen dn tP rMeiqsnusie ssttCeilorunb sf oirna ndTF ookaryneosi wgenor nsA: ffairs,
panseI last had the pleasure of mceting representat4. ves of the
Veygreat charges have occurred in both our countries since then.
Even greater changes have occurred in the prospects for our region.
At that time, I was the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of
my country. Now I have the honour to be Australia's Prime Minister.
That is not a marvellously important change as far as you are concerned,
though I have no doubt you will be interested in some of the changes
of policy the election of my government has brought about. But at
that last press conference, I had just completed a visit to Peking. Just
2 days after I spoke to you, President Nixon made his historic announcement
W t he intended to go to Peking before May 1972. I was still in Tokyo
ehe made his broadcast. I well remember the reaction here at the time.
I can assure you that the suprise was felt in my country as well as yours.
There was even some shock in some quarters in Australia. I myself was
suprised, but delighted. Japan has been able to move very rapidly towards
established honourable and sensible relations wiith the People's Republic.
W-6tralia recognised the Peoule's Republic as soon as the new Government
took office. The American detente with both China and the Soviet Union
has been followed by the end of her tragic and disastrous intervention
in Indo-China. These are very important and hopeful developments in themselves.
But because of the speed with which they took place, and because they
represent such a marked change from the thinking and attitudes which
have dominated the affairs of our region for a generation, they have
created some uneasiness. It is not always easy to adjust to change,
even when those changes are basically good and hopeful. in themselves. I
believe hcwever, that countries like Japan and Australia have a duty to
work together to ensure that the new opportunities for peace and progress
in our region are not thrown away.
As you know, the reason for my current visit is to attend the
Japan/ Australian Ministerial Committee. This committee was established
by agreement between the Governments of our two countries when a
previous Australian Government was in office. The first meeting
was held in Canberra last October. For this meeting in Tokyo, I have
brought with me very senior Ministers in my government our Treasurer
Mr Crean, Minister for Overseas Trade, Dr Cairns, our Minister for
Minerals and Energy, Mr Connor and our Minister for Primary
Industries ( Agriculture) Senator lireidt. I think the composition
of our delegation speaks for itself about the importance Australia
attaches to the Committee Meeting and to the relations with Japan.
And you also can get some idea of the matters to be discussed by
looking at the Ministerial responsibilities of these Ministers.
In particular, we recognise that our policies regarding investment
from overseas and the use of our resources are of particular
interest to Japan. Ive recognise that Japan is entitled to be
reassured that she will continue to have secure access to
Australia's resources at fair prices. The Government and people
of Japan can be reassured on that point.
The growth of close relations between Japan and
Australia in recent years has been very remarkable. I am
quite sure those relations will continue to the increasing
mutual benefit of our two countries and I would hope to the
benefit of our region.
Q. I understand that there is much opposition within
Australia against the signing of a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce
and Navigation with Japan, and I am given to understand that you
yourself, Mr Prime Minister, have come up with certain ideas
about this treaty. Could you tell us what you have in mind?
P. M. In past years the Government of Japan has
suggested to the Government of Australia that Australia should
enter into a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation with
Japan as very many other countries have already done.
Earl~ ier Australian Governments were not enthusiastic
about the offer. I wouldn't like you to think that they
were hostile. That would not be an accurate description.
It has never been a very big public issue in Australia
but it would be correct to say that earlier Australian Governments
were not responsive to the suggestion.
My colleagues and I would welcome an arrangement between
Japan and Australia which would acknowlede the voery real
significance that we have for each other.
We believe that there are great mutual advantages in
our relationship. Vie believe there are great benefits to be
shared between us in that relationship and we would like to have
such an arrangement or treaty so that the conditions in which we
co-operate and consult would be known to the whole world and
would be acknowledged by each of the parties.
I suspect that this general idea will be discussed by
the JapDanese Ministers Rnd the Australian Ministers at this
second Ministerial Conference between our two countries on
Monday and Tuesday of next week.
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I am not suggesting that there should be a text laid on
the table and people should discuss it in detail or specifics
then, but I would think it desirable that in the weeks following
this Ministerial Conference officials should discuss the general
propo sit ion. Australia, in those circumstances, would be very happy to
suggest the form of such written arrangements.
Q. Prime M~ inister, in the penultimate paragraph of
your prepared remarks you say that Australia recognises the
Japanese view in which the Australians concurred, about the
Australian Minerals and Energy policy.
I would like to ask you whether you have come to Japan
to spell out your policy. 0
P. M. I have spent quite a deal of time in recent weeks
discussing these matters with the four Ministers who are coming
with me, and our officials have done the same.
We Ministers and the officials have done so together,
and I believe there will be quite an amount of specifics discussed
or Monday and Tuesday.
Q. This question concerns migratory birds0
The Japanese Government has proposed that in the treaty
for the protection of migratory birds an awful lot of them fly
between Australia and Japan can you tell me what your view is
towards this proposition and do you think this will be taken
up at this Ministerial Conference?
Last year we signed a similar treaty between Japan and
the United States and recently we signed it with the U. S. S. R.
We are trying to develop a coordinated system or
network of such treaties for the protection of migratory birds,
and could you tell us your view about the conservation and
preservation of nature?
P. M. This treaty is not on the agenda for this
Ministerial Conference.
We are very happy to enter into treaties to preserve
wild life0 We have recently ratified, or taken steps to ratify
an international treaty in this regard endangered species
last year. My government has acted to ratify this treaty, and
we would be responsive to this suggestion.
. There is, of course, one aspect of conservation which
is of very great concern to Australia and Japan, and that is
whales. Q. Prime Minister, you have a Companies Takeover
Act which is a legacy of the previous administration which is
to expire by the end of December this year.
What is the view or policy of the Labor Administration
towards overseas capital?
P. M. We will probably extend this piece of
legislation. I am not sure that by the end of the year we will be
able to frame a better piece of legislation.
Therefore, we will probably just extend the present one.
' 9 as Japan'sO ura ttgietnuedrea l toa ttfiotruedieg n tocwaapridtsa l. foreign capital is the same
One of the reasons why Japan has become so economically
strong is that she has been very willing to learn from other
countries but not to yield to other countries.
Ever since the Meiji era the'governments of Japan and
Japanese companies have determined to preserve Japan's
sovereignty and identity and integrity.
Japan, through the farsightedness and independence of
earlier generations, is now in the situation of being the third
greatest economic power in the world and the country which has
the best economic future proportionately in the world.
We believe in Australia we can learn from the Japanese
example. Obviously we can't muster all the capital we need by
ourselves. We can't develop all the skills we need by ourselves but
this is not an excuse for being a minority partner or not being
a partner at all in Australian resources and industries and
their development. In the last 15 years or less in Australia, we have
discovered very great mineral resources.
Australian minerals as a whole are 62 per cent in
f oreign hands. That is to Australia's disadvantage.
It is a reflection on preceding Australian Governments.
We are determined to see that that percentage does
not grow. We welcome partnerships within the discovery, the
development, the marketing of our resources, and particularly
we welcome partnerships with our best trading partners.
Of those, Japan would probably be the best.
Our understanding is that Japanese companies are willing
to be good residents in other countries.
They are more understanding and cooperative partners
than some of the older ones with whom Australia has lived
hitherto. We admire Japan's independence and farsightedness.
We hope to emulate it, and to work with her.
Q. In your prepared statement you talk about Japan's
move toward China, the Australian move towards China and the
American detente between China and the Soviet Union in the
Indo-China war and then you say that these moves towards
China have created some uneasiness and it is not always easy
to adjust to change even when those changes are basically good
and hopeful in themselves.
Is there any more in this, can you elaborate?
P. M. Last time I had a press conference in Tokyo was
in July, 1971. As I recall in the statement I circulated, it was just
at the time when Dr Kissinger' s visit to Peking was announced A^
and the prospective visit of President Nixon was announced.
This very clearly was an event which startled most
countries in the region.
It startled the Government of Australia at the time.
And then events have moved with very great speed
since them. Japan, for instance, switched from Taipei to Peking
in September last.
Australia did in December, and two years ago Peking
was admitted to the U. N. and Taipei was excluded.
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Now in all these circumstances a great number of the
countries in this region the western Pacific were caught by
surprise, and some them still feel uneasy in the new
circumstances. It is in that context that I made this remark.
Q. There have been reports concerning the wreck of
the Australian freighter " Blythe Star", apparently in -the vicinity
of Japanese trawlers who were strongly advised to go to the
rescue of the crew.
They did not, disregarding one of the strongest rules
of the sea0 Apparently they were pilfering Australian waters, and
apparently they put fish above humzan ' Life0
Are you going to take this matter up with the Japanese
Government? P. M. There are allegations to this effect, there
has been no confirmation of the allegations0
The Ambassadors of' Japan in Australia and of Australia
in Japan, both of whom are at this conference, would be the
proper persons to follow up any such allegations if they were
confirmed. Q. You men~ tion in your statement that the growth
of close relations between Japan and ! Austraiia in recent years
has been very remarkable.
Could you cutline your-concept of the future of
Australia/ Japanese relations?
P. M0 There are two particular aspects which are of
outstanding relevance to the region. one is the direct
relation between Japan and Australia.
Japan sells more things to Australia than any other
country other than the U. S.
We are of very great importance to each other0
The other thing is that there is a vast contrast in
development in all the economics and social standards between
Japan and Australia on. the one hand and all the countries which
lie between them on the other hand0
Clearly, Japan and Australia can't be affluent enclaves
in a deprived and potentially turbulent part of the world0
Those are the two things which make it particularly
important that Australia and Japan should acknowledge their
relations with each other and their responsibilities to their
neighour0
Could I illustrate from one particular industry, the
automobile industry.
It is Australia's ' Largest industry.
It is wholly in overseas hands0
You know that in Japan you would never have allowed
your automobile industry to be in foreign hands0
We have noted the steps you took when Chrysler was
waningto nvet hrewe noted the steps you took in that case.
We should have had the foresight to act that way
ourselves0 Some Japanese motor car companies are now interested in
manufacturing in Australia, and the size,-the style, the safety
of Japanese cars is every bit as good as the counterpart quality
of the cars which are manufactured by other overseas companies
in Australia0 We believe that the Japanese companies would be better
partners in very many respects than the companies which we
already have. Q You mentioned earlier that under certain
conditions you would agree to a Friendship, Commerce and
Navigation Treaty0
What sort of conditions did you. mean?
P. M. I decline to go into any further detail on
this subject. Q. I -understand there is a certain fear in Japan
about the future of Papua New G-uinea0 a
Could you tell us a littl~ e about the future of Papua
New Guinea and why should the Japanese be afraid of the future?
P. M. I wasn't aware that there was any fear in Japan
about the future of Papua New Guinea.
There were no grounds in my view for any such fear.
I take this opportunity -to discount any such fears.
Papua New Guinea will become a self-governing country
on 1 December this year.
It will become an independent country within a very
short time thereafter.
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Papua Nlew Guinea has shown, in the last few years,
remarkable political development.
The Chief Minister of Papua New Guinea is very well
disposed towards Japan.
His first schooling was received at the hands of the
Japanese in the early 1940' s in his country.
He has visited this country.
His prospective Minister for Foreign Affairs will be in
Tokyo at these ministerial talks on Tuesday afternoon.
I would hope that Japanese companies and officials
would have a continuing and confident interest in Papua
New Guinea, as they should, I would suggest, have in all the
countries between Australia and Japan because Japan has the
greatest potential to realise and the greatest opportunity and
I would therefore think the greatest obligation to help in the
development of all these countries,
Australia has similar opportunities and, therefore,
obligations In kind although not, of course, in degree.
Australia has done a very great deal to develop
Papua New Guinea.
We would welcome assistance ' by Japan.
I think -the Government of Papua New Guinea -a very
effective government would welcome such assistance too.
I would thinic there should be no fears as to the
future of Papua New Guinea.
Q. Mr Prime Minister: You have fcr some time been
advocating a conference of the Asian and Pacific region.
Do you mean this as a precedent for the now mummified
ASPAC or SEATO or what were the implications for making such a
conference in regard to the ASEAN.
Do you intend to make this proposal in this ministerial
meeting and do you also intend to make this proposal to China.
P. M. I may well discuss the general idea both in
Tokyo and in Peking.
I don't want to commit myself to the word " conference"
but I think that there are advantages in having arrangements
under which the countries of the W~ estern Pacific and
South Ea.-: t Asia can meet periodically to discuss matters of
mutual interest. The great disadvantage, I believe, that so many of
the countries have suffered hitherto and Australia has certainly
suffered from this, is that whenever heads of government or
foreign ministers of any countries of the region get together
people expect that there will be some aid program or military
pact emerge from their discussions.
We ought to become used to an exchange of view
without any particular motive or agenda of that character.
Reference has been made to SEATO which arose in the
general context of the Geneva Conference of 1954 and ASPAC
which arose in the context of America's involvement when the
Geneva Agreement finally broke dcwnñ in the middle 1960' s
We now see how ineffective such arrangements were.
There are some economic arrangements and, for instance,
one which Australia recently joined was the Ministerial
Conference for the Development of South-East Asia, and we
appreciate Japan's helpfulness in Australia joining that
economic gathering. Let me draw a couple of comparisons: in Africa
there is the Organisation of African Unity, in the Americas there
has been, for longer, the Organisation of American States.
When these bodies gather ft is to the advantage of all
of them to do so.
They all see advantages i~ n doing so.
People don't have false hopes that there is going to
be some military pact o~ r aid. program emerge from them.
Another body to which Australia belongs is the
Commonwealth of Nations -the British Commonwealth of Nations
which so many woid rec-ognise it this is a body where there
is no economic or military significance at all, but all the
members find value .1n having this d-iscussion in that context.
There is no such body in this region, and I believe
wie are all the poorer for the want of it.
The only body which has a regional significance and
viability is ASEAN. RS& J
ASEAN is, understandablA'y, not wanting to extend until
it has fully consolidated itself.
It has made very great progress indeed.
You mention China.
Obviously there are difficulties in this situation
where some of the countries in the region do not recognise
Peking I think that applies to two of them there are others
whose relations with Peking have been suspended or have never
been activated although the countries I had in mind there have
never recognised Taipei-L to put it another way they do not
assert, as Japani did and A-ustralla did until December last year
that Genera'lissimio Z'hiang Kai-Shek was -the President of the
whole of China. Obviously there are inhibitions in having such
arrangements and consultations at this stage.
We, I suggest.. want to get away from the idea that any
arrangements in this region must have some ideological purpose
or must have the participation of north Atlantic countries.
Each the participation of north Atlantic countries,
the ideological purposes have both been. shown to be
couner-poducive Q. A supplementary qu. estion: Australia
participated in the South-East Asian MYinisterial Conference
for Economic Development recently in Tokyo for the first time
and while Japan regards this gathering as a purely economic
assembly, I take it that your view is not necessarily to
regard it as pure. 1y an economic assembly.
I don't think you have rejected the possibility of this
body developing in the future into some kind of regional
cooperation arrangement with some political overtones.
May I invite you to comment on -this?
P. MN. We accept this body in the context in which it
has operated up until now -an economic one.
We have no ulterior or concealed motives in joining
It is valuable in what it does, and it is not a substitute
for further organisations because people may think that one
also means " ideological".
I think one of the vices of ariangements in this
region has been that so often they had ideological overtones.
Really, in this region, we have got to work more and
more irrespective of ideology.
So, I don't want to use the word " Political" because
". ideological" is one aspect of " political".
The MEDSEA that we referred. to and youi asked about
that's economic, and valuable as an economic body.