Disappointment from Nixon

Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed diplomatic documents about tough negotiation over textile trade between Japan and United States around 1970. It revealed furious response of then U.S. President, Richard Nixon, to disloyal attitude of then Prime Minister, Eisaku Sato. Nixon hurled a word of “disappointment” to Sato. Forty or more years later, one of Sato’s nephews, current Premier Shinzo Abe, received same word from U.S. President, when he visited controversial war shrine, Yasukuni.

Regulation on textile import was a major campaign promise of Nixon in his presidential election in 1968. In the summit meeting of both leaders in November of 1969, Sato promised accepting U.S. demand before the end of the year, in compensation with returning Okinawa to Japan. As a matter of fact, Japanese textile makers delivered volunteer regulation on exporting their products in March 1971, which was far from satisfaction of U.S. government. Sato, nevertheless, welcomed the volunteer regulation and declared no necessity of further negotiation with U.S., the attitude which made Nixon get mad.

The letter from Nixon to Sato was sent few days after the announcement of volunteer regulation. “Dear Prime Minister,” the letter starts, “I cannot disguise my disappointment and concern in this period of textile trade issue.” “When I met with you last October, I thought we would reach an agreement both of us could be satisfied. But after too long negotiation, that agreement was not achieved,” wrote Nixon. Nixon warned that self-regulation of Japanese textile makers would face significant resistance from U.S. makers and his supporters, indicating further complexity in the negotiation. Nixon expressed strong discontent, saying “I deeply regret to write you a letter in this manner.”

Experts supposed that Nixon’s frustration had significantly affected Japan-U.S. relationship. The Japanese experienced two Nixon Shocks, one was announcement of his visit to Beijing for normalization of bilateral relationship with China in July 1971 and another was unilateral cancellation of convertibility of U.S. dollar to gold in following August. Both of those historical policy changes were delivered without any information to Japan. Historians in Japan regard those decisions as retaliation from Nixon.

What can we learn from those historical facts? That is, U.S. never leaves a traitor free. President Barack Obama was disappointed to Abe’s Yasukuni visit last year. In his visit to Tokyo in April, Obama did not conceal his frustration over slow progress in Trans-Pacific Partnership. If Japan fails in resuming normal relationship with China and raises tension in Western Pacific, Obama may be filled with anger. The problem, however, is that China and South Korea show no sign of improvement in relationship with Japan as long as Abe resides as the Premier.