From The Hindu Archives, March 9, 1976: Japanese economic team to visit Pak.

Tokyo, March 8: The Foreign Ministry announced here to-day that a powerful Japanese economic commission, composed of some of the topmost industrial leaders, would be going to Pakistan for an eight-day visit to promote closer relations between the two countries.

The 28 man mission to be headed by Mr. Hiroki Imazato, Board Chairman of Nippon Seiko Company Ltd., will include officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Architecture and Forestry Ministry. Most of Japan’s top industrial and trading houses will be represented in the mission.

During their stay in Pakistan the members of the mission will exchange views with Government and business leaders of that country on ways to expand trade and technical exchanges and other economic co-operation. This will be the first Japanese economic mission in Pakistan since 1967.

Although the publicly announced objective of the mission is to promote closer economic relations, its visit to Pakistan at this juncture assumes greater significance in the light of several recent developments, indicating a new Japanese anxiety to strengthen relations with Pakistan for good reasons. Till recently Japan’s relations with Pakistan were correct and formal but there was no particular inclination on the part of Tokyo to go much beyond this.