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PRIME MINOSTER
PRIME MINISTER: REMARKS TO JAPAN-AUSTRALIA SOCIETY: 1 FEBRUARY
REMARKS TO JAPAN AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY: 1 FEBRUARY ( UNDERLINED)
AMBASSADOR SAITO
MEMBERS OF THE JAPAN-AUSTRALIA SOCIETY
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE WARM WELCOME YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THIS
EVENING. I REGRET THAT OTHER COMMITMENTS MrrEAN THAT I CAN ONLY
SPEND A SHORT TIME WITH YOU.
A FEW BRIEF WGRDS ARE, HOWEVER, IN ORDER.
AS YOU ALL KNOW JAPAN HAS FOR MANY YEARS BEEN AUSTRALIA'S MOST
IMPORTANT TRADING PARTNER. AM SURE THAT IT WILL REMAIN SO.
HOWEVER, THE NATURE OF TRADE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES IS CHANGING.
THIS IS ONLY NATURAL AS THE TWO PARTIES ADJUST TO EVOLVING ECONOMIC
CIRCUMSTANCES. DESPITE THESE DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, HOWEVER, I
WOULD EXPECT JAPAN TO REMAIN A SUBSTANTIAL MARKET FOR AUSTRALIAN
RAW MATERIALS AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. THESE ITEMS WILL CLEARLY
REMAIN VERY IMPORTANT TO JAPAN.
AS BEFITS A TRADING PARTNER OF MANY YEARS STANDING, AUSTRALIA IS
DETERMINED TO BE A RELIABLE AND COMPETITIVE SUPPLIER. W4E ASK IN
RETURN THAT AUSTRALIA BE TREATED NO LESS FAVOURABLY THAN OTHER
SUPPLIERS AND TH4AT AUSTRALIAN INTERESTS BE TAKEN FULLY INTO ACCOUNT
BY JAPAN IN ITS APPROACH TO THE RESOLUTION OF BILATERAL TRADE PROBLEMS
WITH OTHER COUNTRIES.
AUSTRALIA NEVERTHELESS RECOGNISES THAT IT MUST GIVE CLOSER ATTENTION
TO THE POTENTIAL OF OTHER MARKETS IN JAPAN. JAPANESE MARKETS FOR
MANUFACTURES, PROCESSED FOODSTUFFS AND SERVICES N4EED TO BE EXA11INED
CLOSELY IF AUSTRALIA IS TO ARREST THE FALL IT HAS EXPERIENCED IN
RECENT YEARS IN ITS SHARE OF TOTAL JAPANESE IMPORTS. WITH THIS IN
MIND WE ARE DEVELOPING A JAPAN MARKET STRATEGY THAT WILL INVOLVE
THE APPOINTMENT OF TWO SENIOR JAPANESE CONSULTING FIRMS TO RESEARCH
NEW MARKETS FOR AUSTRALIA. THE OPPORTUNITIES IDENTIFIED WILL BE
BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF AUSTRALIAN FIRMS LIKELY TO BE ABLE
SUCCESSFULLY TO SUPPLY SUCH MARKETS. WITH THE ASS; ISTANCE OF THE
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT, AUSTRALIA ALSO HOPES TO SE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE
FULLY IN JAPAN'S PROGRAM OF IMPORT LIBERALISATION.
THE CHALLENGE POSED BY ECONOMIC CHANGE IS FORMIDABLE. IT WILL REQUIRE
CONTINUING CONSULTATION AND DISCUSSION TO ENSURE THAT EACH
SIDE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF TH4E OTHER. IT IS ONE OF
THlE PRIN4CIPAL OBJECTIVES OF MY VISIT TO JAPAN TO ENSURE TH4AT THE
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AN4D TRUST ESSENTIAL FOR HARMONIOUS PARTNERSHIP
IS DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED. MY DISCUSSIONS WITH PRIME MINISTER
NAKAS0O4E THIS MORNING HAVE ASSURED ME THAT JAPAN SHARES TH! TS PERCEPTION.
2.
THE ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA IS NOT OF
COURSE CONFINED TO TRADE. MY GOVERNMENT WELCOMES THE GROWING
JAPANESE INTEREST IN INVESTMENT IN AUSTRALIA. THE PROSPECTS FOR
CO-OPERATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ARE ENCOUJRAGING. THE POTENTIAL
FOR DEVELOPING TOURISM IS ALSO ' CONSIDERABLE. I SEE PROSPECTS IN
TH4ESE AREAS AS GOOD REASONS FOR CONFIDENCE IN THE CONTINUED GROWTH
AND DIVERSITY IN THE ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP.
BUT IN THE END IT IS PEOPLE THAT MATTER. THE VERY SUCCESS OF THE
JAPANESE ECONOMY IN A COUNTRY WHERE BASIC PHYSICAL RESOURCES ARE
LIMITED IS EVIDENCE OF THAT.
AND SO IT IS THAT AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN THE BROADENING OF CO-OPERATION
BETWEEN JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN THE CONTINUING COMMITMENT
OF INDIVIDUALS AND PRIVATE-LEVEL ORGANISATIONS TO THE FOSTERING OF
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND GOODWILL. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE ROLE
YOUR OWN SOCIETY HAS PLAYED OVER THE YEARS IN PROMOTING FRIENDSHIP
AND EXCHANGES BETWEEN AUSTRALIANS AND JAPANESE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED
IN AUSTRALIA. THE PRESENCE HERE OF SO MANY DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE IS
A MOST ENCOURAGING INDICATION THAT T1HERE IS IN JAPAN A CONTINUING
HIGH LEVEL OF INTEREST IN AUSTRALIA AND AUSTRALIANS. AS WELL AS
EXCELLENT HOSPITALITY, YOU HAVE GIVEN ME A FURTHER REASON FOR
CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE VITALITY OF OUR RELATIONSHIP.
I WISH YOUR SOCIETY EVERY SUCCESS IN ITS FUTURE WORK.