General View

 
An important pillar of Japan's foreign policy is the positive fulfillment
of political and economic roles in order to maintain peace and stability in
this region, as well as the further promotion of close relationships with the
Asian nations.
In 1981, Asia was generally stable, undergoing no drastic changes.
Nevertheless, in the midst of an increasingly severe international economic
environment, each nation was forced to cope with difficult situations. The
Cambodian problem began to show signs of a deadlock, while the refugee
problems of Indochina and Afghanistan have remained unsettled.
Under such circumstances, Prime Minister Suzuki paid official visits to
the five ASEAN nations in January, followed by Foreign Minister Ito's
visits to Korea in March and to China in April. Foreign Minister Sonoda
attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Conference with Dialogue
Countries (in Manila) in June and the International Conference on
Kampuchea (in New York) in July. Japan was engaged in extremely active
diplomatic efforts for the further promotion of peace and stability in Asia.