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Press Conference of Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State, concerning the meeting of the President and the Prime Minister of Japan
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7336985
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Press Conference of Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State, concerning the meeting of the President and the Prime Minister of Japan
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Digitized from Box 5 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 18, 1974
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
(Tokyo, Japan)
THE WHITE HOUSE
PRESS CONFERENCE
OF
HENRY KISSINGER
SECRETARY OF STATE
HOTEL OKURA
AT 3:53 P.M. JAPAN TIME
MR. NESSEN: For a briefing on today's meeting
between the President and the Prime Minister, we have
Secretary Kissinger. He has another appointment this
afternoon and we would like to limit the briefing to
20 minutes. And when the Secretary leaves, I will attempt
to answer your other more general questions.
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Ladies and gentlemen: I
will confine myself to the meeting between the President
and the Prime Minister this morning which was attended
by the two Foreign Ministers and two other individuals
on each side.
We concentrated in this initial meeting
first on stressing the great importance that the United
States attaches to its relationship with Japan for
peace in the Pacific, peace in the world, and for the
economic progress of our two countries as well as
of all other countries.
This led to a discussion of two related
questions the problem of food and the problem of
energy. With respect to the problem of food, the President
pointed out the interest that the United States has in
an orderly, long-term evolution of world agricultural
policy as we have presented it at the World Food
Conference, and in this context he assured the Prime
Minister that Japan could count on a stable level of
supplies of agricultural supplies from the United States.
There were further discussions on agricultural
issues, and it was agreed that they would be continued
tomorrow when the President and the Prime Minister
met again.
With respect to the problem of energy, the
President stressed to the Prime Minister the importance
the United States attaches to the program that we out-
lined last week of solidarity among the consumers.
MORE
- 2 -
He made very clear that this is not intended
in any sense to lead to any confrontation with the
producers but rather to pave the way for a constructive
dialogue between consumers and producers for the
common benefit of both.
The Japanese side explained the special
problems of Japan in terms of its heavy dependence on
imported oil and the difference in the proportion of
the consumption of energy between the United States
and Japan in that Japan consumes about 70 percent. of
its oil for industrial consumption and only 30 percent.
for personal use, while in the United States the opposite
percentage obtains, so that the margin for reductions
in consumption in Japan is more limited than in the
United States. But within that framework the Japanese
point of view was one that seemed to us sympathetic to
our general approach, and we pointed out that we would
put more emphasis on the development of alternative
sources and that we would share the results of research
and development and technological innovation with
Japan with respect to the new sources of energy.
There was a general recognition that Japan
and the United States should cooperate on the usual
matters of bilateral relations, but also on the whole
area of stability of international affairs and progress
towards peace.
The discussions on all of these items as
well as others will be continued tomorrow morning when
the President, the Prime Minister, and their advisers
will meet again.
I will be glad to take questions.
Q
:
Mr. Secretary, were the Japanese
sympathetic to your specific proposal in Chicago about
the reduction of importing oil, or did their situation
preclude that?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Well, we did not have a
chance this morning to go into every aspect of my
proposal. I think that first of all my specific proposal
was that the importation of oil should be kept level
through a combination of measures of conservation and
the development of new sources of energy.
It may be that the mix in Japan between
conservation and development of new sources has to be
different than in the United States. And = far as
the United States is concerned, we do not feel that
exactly the same formula or exactly the same percentage
has to be applied to every country, but that rather there
must be understanding for the particular situation of each
country.
MORE
- 3 -
I would say that there was sympathy to the
general approach and that we will have to work out in
subsequent discussions the particular manner in which
it can be implemented for each country.
Q
Mr. Secretary, did your statement to
the Japanese indicating they could count on a stable
level of agricultural products indicate that Japan is
going to have a special position in America's agricultural
export market?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: As we attempted to make
clear at the World Food Conference, we believe that
the whole problem of world agriculture has to be
approached on a more systematic and planned basis, and
the various proposals we make there, some of which got
lost in the debate about food aid -- the various proposals
that we made there were all designed to assure a stable
level of expectations and a more careful systematic approach
on an overall basis.
Now on the one hand we, of course, have a free
market for agricultural products. On the other hand,
we have set up a system which amounts to some voluntary
allocations by the contacts between our major companies
and the Department of Agriculture.
So without using the word "preferred", I
think one can say that the President indicated that
the United States insofar as it is within our power
of the Government--and the Government will have a
considerable voice in it--will see to it that Japan
can count on a stable level of imports.
Q
Dr. Kissinger, will the Japanese
agree to import American beef -- or was that
discussed?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: That question was
discussed, yes.
Q
What was the conclusion? Were there
any indications they might agree to let American meat
enter their country?
:
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Well, I don't want to
speak for the Japanese Government, but my impression
was that the President's point will be taken very
seriously.
MORE
- 4 -
Q
Dr. Kissinger, does not the promise
of a stable supply of U.S. agricultural products mean
that we will not resort to putting off imports in order
to curb rising food prices as we did with soybeans in
1973 and wheat?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Well, as you know, we
have asked major importers from the United States
to give us some indication of their requirements over
a period towards which we can plan. It does mean that
:
under foreseeable circumstances we will not impose
export control.
But we would like to have an informal arrange-
ment with the key importers in which we can have some
idea of their requirements over a period of time.
This is not a major problem with Japan with which we have
a very satisfactory relationship in this respect.
Q . Was Korea (Inaudible)
SECRETARY KISSINGER: We have not yet had a
chance to discuss the problem of Korea except in the
context of our general desire to maintain peace and
stability in the area. This is a subject which, if it
comes up, will be discussed in greater detail tomorrow.
Q
Mr. Secretary, have you had a chance to
discuss China and/or the Soviet Union?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: There has been a discussion
by the President of his meeting with the General Secretary
in Vladivostok, and his general approach towards detente
and also the connection between our friendship with Japan
and the general approach to the Soviet Union.
There has only been a general reference to the
relationships with the People's Republic of China. It
was agreed, however, that I would stop in Tokyo on
my return from Peking to brief the Japanese Government
about my meetings in Peking.
Q
Can you tell us what is on your agenda
with your meeting tonight with the Finance Minister?
:
SECRETARY KISSINGER: The Finance Minister
was an old friend with whom I worked closely in his
previbus portfolio. He requested the meeting and it
does not have any fixed agenda, but I would assume that
we will discuss some of the problems of energy and food
and any other subject that he may wish to raise.
But I would expect those two to be the principal
items.
MORE
- 5 -
Q
Mr. Secretary, on the matter of the
ratio of consumption for industrial versus private
use of fuel, did Prime Minister Tanaka make any
suggestions to President Ford of the possibility of
reducing U.S. consumption in its proportion or ratio?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Well, the goals of
consumption restraint in the United States were
publicly stated by the President in October. They
were reaffirmed by me at the request of the President
in my speech last Thursday. They state both the
restraint on consumption for the next year and the
overall restraints on imports and the development of
new sources of energy over the next ten years.
The President has made clear that these
consumption restraints will be met either by voluntary
action or by other action. There was no discussion of
how this relates at this time to any measures that
other countries would take.
We will, however, have technical discussions
with Japan within the next month to go into the details
of the implications of our proposal and how it could
be put on a multilateral basis.
MORE
- 6 are
Q
Mr. Secretary, was there any discussion of
the nuclear controversy or security treaty in general?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: There was a discussion of
the nuclear problem. The President expressed his understanding
for the special sensitivities of Japan with regard to this
matter. It was agreed that the nuclear issue would be
handled as it has been handled throughout within the frame-
work of the Mutual Security Treaty and that any special
problems in connection with it would be handled on the
basis of bilateral discussions between Foreign Minister"
Kimura and myself, and within the framework of American
understanding for the special sensitivities of Japan
with respect to this issue.
Q
Mr. Secretary, did you discuss resumed
fighting in the Middle East and did you discuss with the
Japanese your plan for a step-by-step negotiation?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: We have not, first of all,
as I pointed out in Washington before we left, we do not
expect renewed fighting in the Middle East in the immediate
future. We did not yet have an opportunity to go into
detail on the evolution of the negotiations in the Middle
East. There will be a meeting, of course, again between the
Prime Minister and the President tomorrow morning and my
associates and I will be meeting with the Foreign Minister
for several hours in the afternoon and I am certain that by
the end of the day these issues will have been discussed.
Q Mr. Secretary, even though you did not go
into detail, has Japan begun to make any form of a request
for the way that the diplomacy in the Middle East is
to be conducted?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: I am having trouble hearing
you, Barry.
Q
I am sorry. With regard to Japan's need
for oil and their interest in the Middle East, have they
begun to lodge a special appeal with you as to how that
diplomacy should be conducted?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: No.
Q
Mr. Secretary, did the President invite the
Emperor to the United States in the near future?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: The President extended an
invitation to His Majesty: to visit the United States
for 1975 and we are pleased to report that this invitation
has been accepted. We look forward to this visit.
MORE
- 7 -
Q
Mr. Secretary, I did not quite understand.
On the nuclear issue, you mean it has been brought up by the
Japanese as a problem?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: I think I made clear that
the issue has been, as I explained, the special sensitivities
of Japan with respect to nuclear weapons and then I have
explained our reaction.
Q
Mr. Secretary, what did the President say
about Vladivostok and China?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: The President and the Prime
Minister discussed the role of detente in current diplomacy
and how we believe that our relations with the Soviet
Union, as well:as the People's Republic of China, can
contribute to stability in the Pacific area. We also
stressed, however, that the close friendship between
Japan and the United States was one of the prerequisites
for the effectiveness of this policy and he gave the
Prime Minister a brief preview of the subjects likely
to be discussed in Vladivostok.
Q
Mr. Secretary, you said that the President
had told:the Prime Minister about our own program for
restricting our own oil consumption through voluntary
and other means. Did the President indicate that we
would be going to involuntary means shortly?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Excuse me, Mr. Elfin.
I did not say that the President explained our program.
The question to which I replied was whether we would
allocate consumption restraints on the basis of the
relative personal users and I said that our overall pro-
gram of consumption restraints, of import restraints
involved both restraint on consumption as well as the
development of new sources, that with respect to that,
the American goal for consumption restraint had been
publicly stated. It was not, as a matter of fact, repeated
to the Prime Minister because it is well known. And
I pointed out that the President is committed to achieving
these restraints on consumption for next year, and on
imports over a 10-year period through a combination of
consumption restraints and new sources and that he
will achieve it either through voluntary restraints
or through other measures that have not yet been decided
upon.
I am afraid I can take only one more question be-
cause I have to meet Ex-Prime Minister Sato.
Q
Mr. Secretary, I have a question.
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Well, I will take two, then.
This gentleman and you.
MORE
8 -
Q
Dr. Kissinger, in connection with the
sources of energy for Japan and the United States, was there
any discussion of the Siberian oil fields and possible
development? Was that reviewed in any way?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: This is one of the issues
which we expect to discuss before we leave here. It has
not, as yet, come out but we are prepared to discuss it.
Q
What are we prepared to say?
SECRETARY KISSINGER: We will discuss it at the
briefing after our meeting.
Q
Mr. Secretary, in connection with the nuclear
question, and your sensitivity to the Japanese sensitivity
since their introduction of nuclear weapons, did you assure
the Japanese that we have never, and would never, intro-
duce nuclear weapons even in a transit situation?
:
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Well, I will not go beyond
what I have said. The question of nuclear weapons
will be discussed within the context of the Mutual
Security Treaty and it will be handled as it has been
handled within that framework.
I am afraid I must turn it over to Ron Nessen.
Thank you very much.
:
THE PRESS: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
END
(AT 4:08 P.M. Japan Time)