Mr Rowling’s Japan stand bipartisan

Press, 14 December 1977, Page 2

Mr Rowling’s Japan stand bipartisan

NZPA Tokyo' A staunchly bipartisan at-1 titude towards the need for Japan to liberalise its trading conditions for New Zealand agricultural exports was taken by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling), when he arrived in Tokyo last evening. Mr Rowling, at an airport press conference, said he wanted to make it clear while in Tokyo that there should be no doubt that the New Zealand people were not divided on the need for better access to Japanese food markets.

) He said that should New Zealand run into more econiomic difficulties the market r there for imports, including ' Japanese cars, could close 1 up. “This is not a threat, ! just a fact of life.” ! On his arrival for a sixday stay in Japan Mr Row- ’ ling learnt that a series of meetings with senior Japan- : ese political figures, in- : eluding the Prime Minister, • (Mr Takeo Fukuda) had been s arranged for him. ■ In the course of his stay ■he will become the first ■ senior New Zealand political : figure to meet Japan’s new Minister of Agriculture and

Forestry (Mr I. Nakagawa) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr S. Sonoda). Mr Rowling will meet the Japanese Prime Minister tomorrow evening. Mr Rowling will also meet representatives of Japanese trade unions, the Japan Housewives Association, the New Zealand Dairy and Meat Boards and important Japanese trading companies. Next week-end be will take part in a meeting of the Socialist International organisation. At his airport press conference Mr Rowling said the trading issue between the two countries was a question of what both nations could do for mutual benefit. "If Japan suffers economic misfortunes we would be affected, and when it is economically strong we would expect to see something of the effects of that.” Trade with Japan had be-, come important to New Zealand and he believed the bilateral trade was also of some benefit to Japan. He wanted to have a look while in Japan at wider issues, not just those of “fish and beef’.

As he saw it, the future of Japanese fishing rights and the New Zealand motor industry were the most important issues at the moment.

New Zealand had signed a fisheries agreement with South Korea and this was a satisfactory first step since the passing of legislation covering the 200-mile offshore zone.

“I would hope we can reach a satisfactory arrangement with Japan before April (when the zone comes into effect).”