Japanese snub denied as Nelson takes aim
Daniel Flitton and Michelle Grattan, New York
March 31, 2008
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has again been forced to reject claims that he is snubbing Japan by appearing to put more weight on Australia's relationship with China.
As the Opposition renewed its attack on Mr Rudd for supposedly neglecting ties with Japan, Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson also sought to credit John Howard for Kevin Rudd's red-carpet welcome at the White House, saying the former prime minister had built close ties with United States President George Bush.
Mr Rudd, now in the US, will travel to Europe then spend four days in China. He will not visit Japan.
Dr Nelson said cultivating good relations with Tokyo should be one of Australia's key foreign policy priorities.
"Japan is a democracy, an ally of the United States, Australia's largest destination for exports, and we've got a few things to talk to (Japan's) Prime Minister (Yasuo) Fukuda about in relation to whaling, for example," he said.
Asked about the matter by a Japanese journalist in New York, Mr Rudd said the issue needed to be put "in a bit of context".
"It's simply the way in which visits are organised," Mr Rudd said, adding that he intends to visit Japan twice this year — once for the G8 summit in July and a later bilateral visit.
Meanwhile, Dr Nelson said the warm welcome given to Mr Rudd by the White House at the weekend showed Mr Howard and Mr Bush had taken the alliance to a stronger level.
"They did have a special relationship," Dr Nelson said.
"We're a more confident country today because of what happened in foreign policy over the last 12 years."
Topic: Japs snubbed, now theres a surprise hahahaha (Read 840 times)