Japan PM greeted in Australia by pomp and protests
Date: 02-May-02
Country: AUSTRALIA
Author: Belinda Goldsmith
Welcomed by Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Koizumi inspected the military line-up on the forecourt of the hill-top parliament overlooking the capital, watched by about 12 silent protesters waving banners calling on Japan to stop whaling.
"Koizumi san, save face, stop whaling," read banners held by protesters from the Greenpeace environmental group.
Japan's push to resume commercial whaling after a 16-year global moratorium will be officially raised by New Zealand when he travels to Wellington on Thursday for the fourth leg of a week-long regional tour. Australia and New Zealand are at the forefront of the push to set up a South Pacific whale sanctuary.
However, the sanctuary was not believed to be on the agenda for discussions in Australia, where a bid to reinvigorate stagnant trade and a possible free-trade pact was set to take centre stage, coupled with security talks.
The Japanese leader said last week he would push for a free-trade pact during his first Australian visit in an effort to boost a two-way A$39 billion (US$21 billion) trade flow between the two countries.
His desire to tighten trade ties has been welcomed by the Australian government, with Japan its largest trading partner and number one export market.
Australian Treasurer Peter Costello said he hoped the talks would map out a timetable for further free trade negotiations.
"If we could have free trade on all goods, both ways, we would be very big winners...this would be an enormous breakthrough," Treasurer Peter Costello told Sydney radio.
RICE BARRIER
Japanese barriers to Australian agriculture exports, such as rice and beef, have dampened expectations for a quick free-trade deal. Australia expects years of tough negotiations for such a pact.
But both countries have signalled a willingness to put the difficult farm issue on the backburner and begin talks on a broad economic agreement with easier goals of harmonising regulations to free up trade in services and technology.
As well as trade, Howard has said the two leaders will discuss the regional response to terrorism and global issues such as the economy and climate.
Koizumi was also expected to urge Howard to reverse Australia's decision to shun the 1997 Kyoto protocol to cut to greenhouse gas emissions.
Canberra has indicated it is unwilling to ratify the pact without the United States, which has rejected the treaty.
Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has said he hoped to discuss Japanese participation in regional peacekeeping in a bid to draw Tokyo further out of its non-participation in foreign military exercises since World War Two.
Japan is involved in peacekeeping duties in the world's newest nation, East Timor, after its vote for independence from Indonesia in 1999 triggered a wave of violence.
