From July 27 to 29, 1972, Takeiri Yoshikatsu, chairman of the opposition party Kōmeitō, met Premier Zhou Enlai three times in Beijing. The record of their talks ran to 52 sheets. On August 4, the day after his return, Takeiri handed it to Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei and Foreign Minister Ōhira Masayoshi, together with a draft of a joint communiqué.
The record asked for secrecy: “The content of the three meetings is all important, so keep it completely secret from everyone except Prime Minister Tanaka and Foreign Minister Ōhira.” Tanaka arrived in Beijing on September 25. The joint communiqué was signed on September 29, 1972.