Undiplomatic Admission

The Japanese government has never before admitted the obvious: that the establishment of diplomatic relations with Peking--which it now favors --would lead inevitably to a break in its friendly ties with the Chinese Nationalist regime in Taipei. But last week, inscrutably enough, the government of Premier Kakuei Tanaka casually released a document saying just that.

Why the undiplomatic admission? Chief Cabinet Secretary Susumu Nikaido lamely explained that the document, labeled the government's "basic views" on establishing normal relations with China, was a confidential policy and should not have been released. Then he disclosed that the Japanese have actually been working on a gentlemen's agreement with the Taipei regime that would allow the Nationalists to save face if a Tokyo-Peking agreement appeared imminent. Taipei would simply take the initiative in breaking off its relations with Japan "for negotiating with Peking."

Nikaido's statement was likely to infuriate the Chinese Nationalists as much as the erroneously released document unquestionably did. The accidental release of Tokyo's "basic views" on China also led to a furor in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that was likely to increase Tanaka's difficulties in gaining the base of support he needs to negotiate with Peking.

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