43. Editorial Note
At 3:30 p.m. on January 12, 1965, Prime Minister Sato and Secretary Rusk, along with members of their respective parties, met in the Secretary’s Conference Room at the Department of State. Among other [Page 79] topics, they briefly reviewed the Ryukyu and Bonin Islands issue (Memorandum of conversation; National Archives and Records Administration, RG59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 19 RYUIS), as well as the United States-Japan security relationship. (Memorandum of conversation; ibid., DEF 4 JAPAN–US) Since the Prime Minister indicated that both those matters had been sufficiently discussed in his earlier meeting with President Johnson, the conversation focused on other topics, most particularly the issue of Communist China.
Prime Minister Sato set forth the essence of Japan’s “Two Chinas” policy, while Secretary Rusk expressed his concern that the People’s Republic of China’s policies could lead to war in the Pacific region. Both agreed on the importance of preventing the People’s Republic of China from being seated in the United Nations and to remain in close contact on developments relative to China. (Memorandum of conversation; ibid., POL JAPAN–US) The meeting ended with a brief exchange of comments concerning continued consultations, the question of disarmament, and an upcoming meeting with members of the press. (Memorandum of conversation, ibid.)
The following day, January 13, Prime Minister Sato met with Secretary Dillon to discuss the Interest Equalization Tax and with Secretary Rusk to survey United States-Japan relations and the world situation. (Memoranda of conversations; ibid.)
Extensive preparatory and contemporaneous documentation, including background reports, briefing papers, telegrams, memoranda, aide-mémoires, and memoranda of conversations generated by the Sato visit are in several document collections; ibid., POL 7 JAPAN and POL JAPAN–US; ibid., S/S-Conferences and Official Visits Files: Lot 66 D 347; Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Japan, Sato’s Visit, Memos and Cables, January 11–14, 1965; and ibid., Sato’s Visit, Briefing Book, January 11–14, 1965.