PRIME MINISTER'S INTERVIEW WITH MR YOSHINO OF THE
NIHON-KEIZAI NEWSPAPER, 19 JANUARY 1976
QUESTION: I would like to know, according to your last statement recently,
the relationship between Japan and Australia is facing difficulties
and so Japan from now on has to perhaps cut back imports of
sugar, and iron ore and coking coal while Australia already
is limiting the imports from Japan. What is your . attitude
towards this and what kind of effort do you think is necessary
to resunii this good relationship with trust?
? RIME MINISTER: The statement issued was one that was basically designed
to emphasise the importance of relationships between Japan
and Australia. The whole thrust of the statement was announcing
the Deputy Prime Minister's visit to Japan and was meant to
achieve a recognition of this and to emphasise this. It will
certainly be the purpose of my Government to work for close,
harmonious and profitable relationships between Japan and Australia.
The statement did recognise that because of the world recession,
because of other difficulties, there had been a fall off in trade
in some commodities, in some areas Japan was buying less than us,
and in one or two other areas there were restrictions about
which Japan had expressed concern to us. I have got confidence
that these d ifficulties will be overcome and they should not be
allowed to take a preeminent position in the minds of either
Japan or Australia concerning the relationship between the
two countries. I would certainly hope that they are transitional,
that they are passing difficulties and that tL. he growth of trade
between Japan and Australia will continue in future years. We
will certainly be working towards that end. We know the importance
-to Japan of Australia being a reliable supplier of raw rnater-a2. s
and we recognise countries such as Australia with significant
and large natural resources have an obligation to be a reliable
and secure supplier to countries such as Japan. It's my hope
that what difficulties might have developed over the last two
or three years can in part at least be overcome when the
Deputy Prime Minister is in Japan in a week or two.
alUESTION: About the NARA Treaty which the previous Government had been
trying to negotiate. What is your attitude, what is your Government's
attitude towards the NARA Treaty?
PRIME MINISTER: It would be our objective to secure completion of the
Treaty as soon as we reasonably can. ' There were some matters
still in negotiation between Japan and Australia in relation
to it. I've already given instructions that ought to enable
Australia to define her attitudes in relation to these
remaining issues, as soon as practicable. That would be my
objective and my Government's objective to secure a completion
of * the Treaty, as soon . as we reasonably can.
QUESTION: Now can we go to the international organisations by producing
countries and also for instance OECD and also international
bauxite association. What is your Government's policy
towards these?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think the previous Government joined three of
these producing organisations and this is a matter
which my Government has not yet examined in detail. But I can
give an assurance that we would not want those producing
countries and organisations to operate in a way which caused
acute difficulties to Japan and many other countries in the
manner which camne about as a result of rises in the price of oil.
In other words, I'm saying producing countries, raw material
rich countries do have international obligations. Australia
recognises that, and as a member of those producing organisations
would voice that view. I would also like to say that, on another
point, that while we recognise obligations to be regular, reliable
and secure suppliers of materials we would hope that-it would
be possible to achieve more regular markets for some of our
commodities where our producers are now in grave difficulty.
Let me only take one as an examnple. qe were exporting very
significant quantities of beef to Japan. Because of a conjunction
of events, markets in America, Japan and Europe all diminished
at the same time. I believe it would be appropriate f or us
to examine ways and means to try to secure regular and
reliable markets for our products of this kind and that this is
a significant part of the trading relationship between Japan and
Australia which can help to build long-term security and long-term
confidence between both our countries. ./ 3
) UESTION': Have you got any practical ideas to secure these long-term
supplies from your side?
PRIME MINISTER:. is that question related to beef or to iron ore?
QUESTION: Related to the beef,~ mineral resources and primary products
generally speaking. So it includes beef, sugar and ~ minerals
as well.
' RIME MINISTER: Well there are long-term contracts for minerals and the
contracts for sugar have I think been spread over a longer term
perhaps than the one for beef. It would be a matter for
discussion and negotiation between Japan and Australia how to
achieve long-term stability. The commodities are there.
They are available for export and I think it's a question of
Japan and Australia discussing together how best we can achieve
stability in arrangements for these particular products, and in
particular for the primary products. Mineral exports tend
to be covered by long-term contracts and that gives a reasonable
degree of security and that can be improved, the security of
trade can be improved. I would again favour that. In primary
products, in beef in particular, we have the situation in which
very significant quantities were purchased for quite a few years
and then virtually nothing. That coming on top of falls in
markets in America and Europe means. that our beef producers are
in very great difficulty. The security of access to Japanese
markets and commodities is something that -is ' important and something
that will help greatly in the overall good relationship and
understanding between the Japanese and Australian people.
How precisely this is to be achieved is a matter for negotiations
and discussion. on the other side, Australia's imzports from Japan,
I recognise Japan's need also for regular and reliable access
to our markets for their manufactured products. We have difficulty
in the motor car industry because of revaluation by Australia
and because of inflation in Australia. A steady market here for
Japanese cars suddenly became a very large market for Japanese
cars with the consequent embarrassment and lack of employment Which
threatened Australia's motor manufacturers. As a result
the previous GQvernment introduced import quotas.. Again the
relationship is enhanced if the access can, be reasonable., reliable
and secure. Instead of escalating greatly one year and
being cut*. of f the next trade should be long-term,' secur~ e
and regular. We don't want sudden changes in demand because
it's upsetting for your industries and it's upsetting for our
industries.
QUESTION: About uranium. For instance will you ban export to Japan
unless they ratify the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Do
you think this way? Do you want to make sure that the countries
you are exporting to, that they ratify this treaty?
PRIME MINISTER: This is a matter that has not yet been examined closely
by the Government and it will be coming up for consideration
very shortly. But we ourselves are bound by that treaty.
Australia is bound by that treaty, and I think there is an
obligation to make sure that we all do what we can to prevent
nuclear proliferation. Now having said that we recognise
that there are many countries that are short of energy sources
and uranium is a prime energy source. Therefore, as a member
of the international community I think we have an obligation
on ourselves, or to ourselves and to other countries to make sure
that any export of uranium is going to go for peaceful
purposes only. The kind of safeguards that need spelling out and
defining in relation to this would be matters for consideration
by the Government.
QUESTION: What is the basic policy towards the provision and the role of
Australia in the Asian/ Pacific region. For instance, the policy
towards the neutralisation of Asian countries, or the zone of
peace of the Indian Ocean or regional cooperation?
PRIME MINISTER: Let's take these one by onle. I've said over tI.-he last two
or three days in Malaysia and Singapore that I wanted Australia's
diplomatic efforts to be concentrated more on our own region
and this is the countries to the north, China, Japan, South-East
Asia, that our diplomatic efforts over recent times had been
scattered too far around the world. We live in one part of it
and we ought to give more attention to it. We would want to
cooperate greatly in diplomacy, in relation to the developing
countries, concerning aid matters with the countries of the
region. I believe as I said in Singapore that there's
scope for greater consultation and cooperation between Australia
and South-East Asian countries, both bi-laterally and through
ASEAN. I will also see a role for furthering what I believe
are the close relationships between Japan and Australia, and that
continuing discussions at official, Ministeral level, certainly
are going to be of mutual benefit to us. ' The objective
of neutral zones I can understand. We would support no great
power having any dominating influence of the ASEAN region because
that's only likely to lead to other great powers trying to
counter that dominating influence and I believe that's an
approach that the ASEAN members themselves have close to their,
hearts. The objective of a neutral zone in the Indian Ocean
is an ideal which I think has little chance of success. There's
often a great deal of criticism in the United States over Diego
Garcia and of American ships in the Indian Ocean. However
the. sailing time of Russian ships is ' three days for every sailing
time of an American ship. In other words Russian activity in the
Indian Ocean is three times that of the United States. Their
facilities around the Indian Ocean are greater and those who
direct their criticism at the United States often do not direct
their criticism at Russia. We don't want to see escalating great
power rivalry in the Indian Ocean,. but at the same time we don't
want to see it as an area being dominated by one great power.
Over the recent business in Angola, who can doubt that the reports
of two significant Soviet ships approaching Angola at a critical
point didn't have an effect on one of the sides in that particular
conflict. The use of sea power as a weapon in diplomacy has
often been practiced. While the objective of a neutral zone is
an admirable one which I can understand, I think the reality
of achieving it, given the attitudes of the Soviet Union, is
unlikely. That being so, there needs to be a balance and -the
only power that can provide that balance really is the United
States. Australia certainly hasn't the capacity to achieve that
balance although we need to make our own contribution. I think
that broadly covers that question.
QUESTION: Australia and Japan, these two countries, as two advanced countries
in Asia, what sort of initiative do you think they should take? -M
PRIME MINISTER: Well that. again is a very wide question. I believe we
ought to work as closely together as possible. And we ought to
work as closely as we can with the developing countries in the
region. We both have a capacity to provide aid. I think
that that ought to be done in a way that enhances the developing
prospects of other countries. I've for a long time believed
that countries of the Pacific region could do more to cooperate
together in trade matters. If the European Economic Community
maintains some of its restrictive attitudes, cooperation between
us might do something to widen the areas of trade. The
ASE. AN countries for example, cooperate together in putting
common points of view to the European Economic Community
, over their trading problems. I believe it's a good idea for
Japan and Auastralia to identify areas in which they've got a
common interest. And if necessary in international forums
to argue those interests together. We both have a very significant
interest in the Western Pacific and in peace and stability in the
Western Pacific. Close relations between us are I think of quite
an importance for the security of the region. Getting back
to the points on which we were starting. We're a country
with resources: the main resource of Japan is the energy and
initiative and skill of her people. We recognise Japan's need
to be able to import to fabricate and sell-to the markets of the
world. That'is the way that the standard of life of the people of
Japan develops and is improved. I think through consultation many
areas of cooperation between us will unfold and develop and I
hope that successfully concluding the Treaty between us will help
to-provide a general umbrella under which this can take place.
Q2UESTION: After Mr Anthony's visit to Japan you have a plan to visit also
Japan and China in the near future.*
PRIME MINISTER: No date has been set on it because there are many things that
we must ebo here and obviously it would be necessary to have a date
that would be acceptable in Japan, but I've never visited Japan,
except overnight really, and I would like to visit Japan and hope
that the visit would be acceptable when I have time to go overseas.
But there are many domestic problems which I have to give
Priority to in relation to the economy.
7.
QUESTION: What is you main aim in visiting Japan?
PRIME MINISTER: To establish personal relationships to enhance relationships
between Australia and Japan.
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