Japan dismayed at ban on N.Z. joining games

Press, 31 January 1986, Page 23

Japan dismayed at ban on N.Z. joining games

NZJN Tokyo Japan is dismayed at the United States ban on the New Zealand Royal Navy joining in fivenation Rimpac (Rim of the Pacific) war games off Hawaii in May.

A Nakasone Government spokesman has made it clear that Tokyo will not protest to Washington. It does not want to upset either the United States or Britain.

Britain is sending its first force to the biennial Rimpac exercises, reportedly to reinforce Washington’s “punishment” of the Lange Government over the nuclear ship visit ban. H.M.S. Invincible, the leader of the British naval force, will visit Japan on

its return home from Rimpac. A Japanese Defence Agency spokesman said: “I am disappointed New Zealand will not be joining the joint exercise as usual. It is useful for the Pacific nations, New Zealand and Australia included, to train together.” He declined to speculate on any unofficial intervention Tokyo could take on New Zealand’s behalf with the Rimpac organisers in Washington. “This is a political matter,” he said. Tokyo newspapers are reporting that British warships will replace New Zealand for the first time in a Rimpac exercise. Japan, which turns a

blind eye to American nuclear warship visits, has been invited to send a flotilla.

For its fourth Rimpac exercise since 1980, the Maritime Self-Defence Force (Japan’s Navy) will send the 5200-ton flagship Shirane, two 3850-ton mis-sile-carrying destroyers, and five ships armed with Harpoon ship-to-ship missiles.

One Japanese newspaper report said: “Japan’s fleet in the manoeuvres may show the world the Japanese M.S.D.F. is the United States Navy’s biggest partner in the Pacific.” Copyright N.Z. Japan News