Representative Takashi Sato returned from Beijing conference with a firm resolution. He will be responsible for setting up a juridical foundation. And a gutsy battle began.

　

Under the government's agenda for administrative reform, it had become increasingly difficult to found any juridical foundations and private public-service corporations. Even noble causes of peace and security and human welfare were more often than not stalled.

　

Ministry of Health and Welfare was reluctant to authorize the association on three accounts: 1) we did not have sufficient assets for the establishment of a juridical foundation, 2) it did not approve of a foundation that will serve to support a legislators salon-type of group, and 3) the organization for the purpose of population and development issues in Asia should be better served by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rather than the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

　

To clear the first obstacle of raising funds, each of the five men, Takeo Fukuda (former PM),Tatsuo Tanaka( former ministers of international trade and industry and education), Eisaku Sumi (former minister of justice), Takashi Sato (former minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries) and Fukusaburo Maeda (former president of Japan Radio Tower Co. Ltd.) donated two million yen towards the minimum requirement of fifty million yen. But they were still forty million yen short.

　

Takashi Sato approached Ryoichi Sasakawa, chairman of Japan Shipbuilding Promotion Association, a foundation passionately involved in international peace activities. Mr. Sasakawa was moved by the passion of Takashi Sato and contributed the necessary forty million yen. The first hurdle was cleared, or so it was believed. What had not been anticipated was the opposition from the Ministry of Transport, the oversight ministry for the Shipbuilding Promotion Association. It disapproved of making donations towards the endowment of an yet-to-be-established foundation.

　

On the other hand, the Ministry of Health and Welfare whose authorization was sought was adamant that an endowment of fifty million yen was the minimum requirement for the establishment of the foundation.

　

Tsuguo Hirose (APDA Executive Director and Secretary General, the then advisor to Mr. Sato) was meanwhile working on the article governing donations and contributions for the new foundation and negotiating with the authorities under instructions from Mr. Sato. Having served as a journalist covering the ministry in the past, Mr. Hirose pulled different strings but to no avail. Negotiation stalled. It was Junji Funatsu, the first secretary of Mr. Sato, who lent his hand. Connections in the end helped to breakthrough the stalemate.

　

Chiaki Machida (formerly of Ministry of Home Affairs and a Director at Japan Shipbuilding Promotion Association), Kikuo Nishio (Manager, social welfare department at the same organization), Yoshimura (Director General, Ministries Secretariat at Health and Welfare Minister's Secretariat), Nobuaki Asamoto (Director, Policy Planning Division), Shoji Ishizuki (Deputy Vice Minister for Policy Coordination, Ministries Secretariat at the Ministry of Transport), Akira Hayakawa (Director-General, Administration Department, Civil Aviation Bureau) were committed to get things moving. As a result, both Ministries of Transport and Health and Welfare simultaneously gave the go sign to allow the Shipbuilding Promotion Foundation to make the contribution and the newly proposed organization to accept it. It was 9 February 1982.

　

Takashi Sato's passion and perseverance paid off. Asian Population and Development Association was finally established. All in one hundred days. It was a miraculously speedy development.

　

The Asian Population and Development Association was launched with the following express objectives: "To contribute to Japan's international cooperation to the social and economic development of the region and enhance its welfare and establish peace in Asia through conducting surveys and research on population and development in Japan and in other Asian countries".

　

The following year on 31 March, 1983, it received authorization from the ministry of Health and welfare and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Today it continues its activities as a non-profit organization under three government ministries Ministry of Health and Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Subsequently, it was to serve the Ministry of Finance (today's Ministry of Treasury) as its testing and research corporation. As a Special Public Service Foundation it enjoys special tax exemption status today.

　

　

With the launch of APDA, Asian parliamentarians group now had a parent entity to support their long awaited activities concerning population and development. The base in Japan was the fruit of eight years of commitment and hard work of Takashi Sato and members of International Federation of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, all loyal to the vision of Nobusuke Kishi, the former Prime Minister and Takeo Fukuda, also the former Prime Minister.

　

On 8 and 9 March 1982, representatives of six nations (China, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India and Australia) met in New Delhi, India where they held an Ad Hoc committee. Based on the Beijing Declaration, the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, known as AFPPD, was officially launched.

　

The Forum elected Takashi Sato as its first chairman and Madame He Liliang, the wife of China's former foreign minister Huang Hua as its Vice Chairperson.

　

On subsequent occasions, the steering committee met a number of times and the First Convention of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development took place in New Delhi, India from 17 to 20 February 1984. It was very well attended, a total of 297 people from thirty-one countries and forty-seven organizations.

　

This provided a turning point AFPPD activities grew in substance and scope every year. It contributed to the spawning of regional parliamentarians' federations with whom it continues to exchange information and work closely in great partnership.

　

The story of their birth suggests that APDA and AFPPD are as if identical twins or two sides of the coin.

　

　

The Beijing Conference that was instrumental to the birth of both APDA and AFPPD was an important landmark and a historical turning point. It was not a smooth road by any means. An international conflict between China and India over their border proved a formidable obstacle jeopardizing the conference.

　

Both China and India were adamant in their stances, and things appeared bleak.

　

Japan took the needed leadership. Under instructions from Takeo Fukuda, the former Prime Minister, Takashi Sato moved at lightening speed. It was a fitting drama to the start of a mammoth endeavor. Asia's population problems that are linked to world peace to be solved through parliamentarians' efforts. Japan's passion and vision and prompt action led the group out of a stalemate.

　

Beijing as a location of the Conference had been officially proposed by IFPPD, based on the Colombo Declaration adopted at the International Parliamentary Meeting on Population and Development (IPOP) that met in Colombo, Sri Lanka in August 1979.

　

However, right before the conference was open to, the Chinese government refused to issue a visa to one of the twenty-men delegation from India.

　

The person refused visa was T. L. Rajikumar, the speaker of the state assembly of Arunachal Pradesh, a northeastern state on the border with China.

　

India could not accept this refusal. It objected the development as a blatant violation in domestic affairs mixing politics with the population issues and notified of its intention to boycott the Beijing Conference.

　

An absence of India, the world's second largest country, would render any population conferences in Asia meaningless. Newspapers echoed, "Beijing Conference rendered impossible". Under the circumstances, Takeo Fukuda, chairman of IFPPD instructed Takashi Sato, IFPPD' S representative director, to try once more to resolve the stalemate.

　

The Diet was in session but Sato flew to Beijing in the evening of 14 October. Having arrived around nine o'clock p.m. Sato visited Honorable Huang, Deputy premier and foreign minister, and his wife Madame He Liliang at the Foreign Affairs Department talking the matter over face to face.

　

Sato spoke earnestly suggesting that Beijing Conference was not just a Chinese problem. It aims to resolve Asia's population and development problems and contribute to ensuring peace and stability of the world. He told his host that he understood the border problems with India but asked if China would set that aside and issue a visa so that the conference could take place. Sato's sincere appeal late into night paid off. China agreed to issue the visa on a separate piece of paper. It was a quick solution.

　

That Takashi Sato was an old friend to Mr. and Mrs. Huang helped.

　

Rajikumar received his visa on a different form, and he was not to use his title as the speaker of Arunachal Pradesh assembly while in China. India made concessions towards China as well. Takashi Sato was back in Japan by noon on the following day. He had negotiated successfully behind the stage during a tight schedule of twenty hours.

　

This is the story behind the successful Beijing Conference, a historical turning point that laid the foundation of the subsequent outstanding achievements of Asia's parliamentarians.

　

Both APDA and AFPPD were simultaneously established by the Beijing Conference.