Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, China and Japan, Volume XIV, Part 2

400.949/9–1952: Circular telegram

No. 599
The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Offices¹

secret

Washington, September 19, 1952—8:17 p.m.

Circr 321. On Sept 5 US and Jap initialled agmt re export controls on Jap trade with Commie China.² Under agmt Jap committed embargo (a) all goods enumerated in any internatl control lists; (b) all items on US Security Lists which are not on internatl control lists; (c) list of additional items to be mutually agreed upon by US and Jap. This leaves considerable nr items which Jap can trans from its list embargoed items to list items which can be exported only with permission Jap Govt in exchange for items essential Jap economy. These are items remaining after screening to insure so far as feasible inclusion on control lists any item which cld contribute mil potential Commie China. It shld be noted under bilateral agmt Jap export controls re trade Commie China remain more strict than those any other nation except US, Nationalist China, Canad and ROK.³

Although agmt secret, appears likely substance will eventually leak into Jap press. In any event trans large nr items from embargo list to controlled list must in nature of things become public knowledge, will therefore arouse public discussion and probably require some official comment by Jap Govt. In any case nothing shld be said to FonOff at this time.

Info media will not mention agmt this time. If appears conspicuously in fon press official statement may be issued by Dept for use USIS.

Acheson

1. Sent to 20 Embassies, 2 Legations, and 2 Consulates.
2. “Understanding between Japan and the United States Concerning the Control of Exports to Communist China”; attached “Interpretive Note with Respect to the Understanding between Japan and the United States concerning the Control of Exports to Communist China”; neither printed; both initialed at Washington by Linder and Takeuchi; both secret. (493.009/9–552)
3. In a Progress Report (on NSC 104/2) by the Secretary of State and the Director for Mutual Security to the NSC, dated Jan. 19, 1953, the section on Japanese participation in international trade controls reads in part: “Throughout the August bilateral discussions with the Japanese they repeatedly emphasized their view that any bilateral agreement reached with the United States would be meaningful only in relation to the intent that both governments should seek comparable action in COCOM and that the bilateral agreement would be directly affected by such multilateral agreement as is reached. There is now some reason to believe that the Japanese are prepared to relax their insistence on this point.” (S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351, NSC 104 Series) For text of NSC 104/2, “U.S. Policies and Programs in the Economic Field Which May Affect the War Potential of the Soviet Bloc”, dated Apr. 4, 1951, see Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. i, p. 1059.