Rudd includes Indonesia in Tokyo trip
A VISIT to Indonesia is likely to be part of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s trip to Tokyo next month to shore up Australia’s relationship with Japan.
The relationship has become strained recently by the perception he has been giving priority to China. The Trip Japanese visit was hastily arranged during Mr Rudd’s recent around-the-world trip, which included the United States and China but not Japan.
There has not been the same problem with Indonesia because Mr Rudd attended the climate change conference in Bali in December and had a meeting with President Bambang Yudhoyono.
But this is not equivalent to a bilateral visit, and Mr Rudd cannot leave such a trip much longer without it appearing that he is playing down Australia’s nearest big neighbour.
The Indonesian relationship is sensitive for Australia. While it went through rough patches in the Howard years, Mr Howard ended up with a strong bond with Dr Yudhoyono.
After the Japanese made it clear they were unhappy with the priority being given to China by the new Mandarin-speaking Prime Minister, Mr Rudd made a big effort to get in an early visit.
There had been earlier tension with Japan over the new Labor Government’s tough line against whaling, which involved shadowing Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean.
Mr Rudd meets Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on June 11. This will mean two trips to Japan in quick succession he will attend the G8 meeting there in July.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Andrew Robb said that in his first five months Mr Rudd had offended three of five countries with which we had major relationships Japan, Indonesia and India.
“In India and Indonesia there are big question marks about the Trip perceived China bias,” he said.
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Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 11:12 pm under