Subject:
China, East Asia Summit, counter-terrorism, Iraq
E&OE...
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, your meeting tomorrow with the Premier of China, what are the key issues you'll be discussing in the bilateral discussion and will a Free Trade Agreement come up?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm sure it will. We will talk about progress with the Free Trade Agreement negotiations. It'll take a while and even without a Free Trade Agreement Australia has a spectacular trade relationship with China. It goes ahead in leaps and bounds but we can always make it better and we're both going to work very hard to achieve that. I also expect that we'll discuss energy matters and I'll take the opportunity also of talking a little bit about the continuing concern that I know both Australia and China have in relation to North Korea.
JOURNALIST:
I'd like to know Prime Minister what your thoughts are of the ASEAN pact on counter-terrorism and what role Australia might play given that we are already working with individual countries on some of these issues?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we're very much ahead of the game on counter-terrorism. We have agreements, I think, with eight countries in the region and, of course, our investment of some $30 to $40 million, perhaps even more, I can't remember the figure off hand, in that big centre in Jakarta, represents one of the biggest investments that has been made by one country in another in relation to counter-terrorism. We have very close links with the intelligence and police forces of all of the countries in the ASEAN region and we are very happy with the way in which those arrangements are working. But it remains a big issue and the more that countries can do collectively and bilaterally with each other in relation to counter terrorism the better.
JOURNALIST:
What about the option of...there's talk that they're talking about being able to rehabilitate a terrorist, do you think a terrorist can be rehabilitated?
PRIME MINISTER:
I suppose it depends on the terrorist. I'm interested in stopping terrorists first.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think David Hicks could be?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'm not going to make any comment about Mr Hicks other than to repeat what I've said before and that is that we want him charged under the new Military Commission rules as soon as possible. But I'm not going to express a view in relation to the matter beyond that.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, what's more important for Australia now, ASEAN or APEC?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh APEC is still the premier regional grouping without doubt, but this is not an either/or situation. Every association we have with countries in the region adds value to our linkage with the region and we regard participation in the East Asia Summit as a big step forward. It's something that we're very positive about, but obviously APEC is still the premier grouping because it includes countries beyond the immediate region and most particularly the United States.
JOURNALIST:
Can I ask a specific question about the Free Trade Agreement with China. When Trade Minister Warren Truss was here two days ago he said that there were many, many issues to resolve and that Australia was asking more of China than China was so far offering. Can you elaborate on that, the particular sticking points? He also talked about the timetables that the Chinese were keen to sign the agreement within three or four months and he's not confident of that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well whenever you have a free trade negotiation you always have a situation where each side at some point asks for more than what the other side at that particular time is willing to give. The discussions will go on and we will want something additional and tangible to justify signing a Free Trade Agreement and I'm sure that China will take the same attitude. None of these things are achieved easily, but the important thing to remember is that the relationship is already fantastic and there'd be very few countries in the world that wouldn't envy the trade relationship that Australia already has with China. It's a remarkable relationship, if we can make it better that's good, but let's not get too hung up about the Free Trade Agreement itself. It's valuable, it's important, I hope we can achieve it, but we already have a very good relationship and plainly both sides are not going to give up trying to get the best possible deal they can, that's human nature.
JOURNALIST:
The East Asia Summit, what are the other issues that you expect to be discussing tomorrow, specifically when it comes to energy, security, financial issues?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think the financial arrangements are quite important. I think the more we can do to help each other in relation to financial institutions; that is a good thing. We've demonstrated in the past, particularly back at the time of the East Asian financial crisis, that we were a good partner and a good friend to the region and we would want to continue to express that in relation to other issues.
JOURNALIST:
Can you explain what the increased financial cooperation involves? Is it to do with the Chang Mai Initiative, is it that type of thing?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that's one of the sorts of things, yes.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister there's been an incident in Iraq, on officer has killed an Arab truck driver, what's your reaction to that and is this an indication that perhaps tension's a little bit higher than usual after George Bush's troop surge?
PRIME MINISTER:
I wouldn't have thought it's related to the announcement made by the President. As to the details of it, I don't intend to add to what has already been outlined by the ADF. It is an operational matter and I don't want to get into the details of it. I do, however, take the opportunity of expressing my total confidence in the men and women of the ADF who are in Iraq. I am sure that they're not only serving the country in a very professional and courageous fashion, but also act completely in accordance with the rules of engagement that have been laid down by the Australian Government. As to the particular details of the incident, it is an operational matter and I'll leave it to the military to talk about it.
JOURNALIST:
Is there a danger that it might see a bit of a backlash amongst the Australian people because this kind of thing is very rare for Australians to be involved in? Might there be a negative impact for Australians and how they view Iraq?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard you traditionally go on a walk in the morning, will you be going for a walk tomorrow morning?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I haven't quite worked out my full plan.
JOURNALIST:
But I mean, on a more serious level...
PRIME MINISTER:
On a more serious level?
JOURNALIST:
Well with the security fears, would it be a legitimate risk if you went on your traditional morning walk?
PRIME MINISTER:
I never get into talking about security matters.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister just again, having another go at that...
PRIME MINISTER:
At what?
JOURNALIST:
The security issue is dominating this forum....
PRIME MINISTER:
Is it?
JOURNALIST:
Well there were reports that it had been cancelled the first time because of security, you are coming here and you are being congratulated for doing so, obviously these sorts of things pass through you mind with you and your office?
PRIME MINISTER:
I never give a great deal of thought to my own personal security. I get advice on it and I always take that advice. It's always properly given by a very qualified competent people who give me every confidence.
JOURNALIST:
What would stop you from taking your walk tomorrow?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look come on, that's into the realm of the theoretical.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, this conference has been rescheduled and most...virtually all of the leaders and virtually all of the Foreign Ministers are attending. Amongst the rare exceptions is Alexander Downer who went to the G'Day LA function in the States. What sort of message do you think it sends to our Asian neighbours that he thinks it's more important to go to a function like that with pop stars and movie stars than to come here?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh I think it sends a message of a well mannered Foreign Minister because the engagement to go to the United States was entered into before he knew that there was an invitation to come to the East Asia Summit at the same time. And I was brought up to believe that if you have an invitation you accept it. If another one comes along, it's bad manners to pull out of the first function. And Mr Downer is demonstrating what a well mannered Foreign Minister he is and I think good manners is something that's greatly appreciated in the region. I've always found Asian leaders and their Foreign Ministers exceptionally well mannered people and they will understand fully what Mr Downer has done.
JOURNALIST:
But other leaders and Foreign Ministers went to obviously great lengths to reschedule their diaries to come?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's a question of being well mannered in relation to the commitments you make and Mr Downer has done absolutely the right thing. And you've got to remember that we are a country that has relationships and engagements all around the world and the relationships in no one part of the world are necessarily more important or less important than another. And if you accept an invitation it's bad manners to pull out of it.
JOURNALIST:
Indonesia's had another two deaths on the weekend, that's four deaths this year. Are you concerned that Indonesia's not doing enough to fight bird flu?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I'm not. I'm sympathetic to the Indonesian position because clearly the contact between poultry and humans in a country like Indonesia is much greater and more frequent and more normal than it is in a country like Australia, therefore the challenge is much greater. What the Indonesians have done, and we have worked very closely with them on this, it's been quite praiseworthy and I don't have any criticism to make of what the Indonesians are doing.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister you talked about ASEAN and APEC, but on the question of APEC, ASEAN versus East Asia, for instance President Yudhoyono's going home tonight, he's not staying on, at the moment it has the sense of an add-on summit to something that's going on already. What needs to be done to make East Asia more relevant and what's Australia plan....
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the whole thing is working rather well. I mean we have APEC which is the premier grouping. The ASEAN grouping clearly pre-dates the East Asia Summit and I am very well pleased with the way it's developing. And you say what more needs to be done? I think what needs to be done is to have very good bilateral relationships with all of the countries in the region, particularly with countries like Indonesia and China and Japan and Malaysia and Singapore; I suppose I should list all of them. But I mean plainly the important thing to do is to have good relations with countries in the region. The architecture of the region is less important than the true substance of the bilateral relationships. I think sometimes commentators and people who write on these things get too obsessed with the architecture than the substance. And the true substance of our relations with countries in the region is there for everybody to see. Reading my brief coming up on the plane, like a well-advised attender of this conference, I see this extraordinary relationship, economically, that Australia has with the three giant economies of North Asia; with Japan, and with China and with Korea. The Japanese Prime Minister and I have just announced that we're going to negotiate with everything on the table, to see if we can get a Free Trade Agreement. Japan has been Australia's best customer for 30 or 40 years. I've already talked about China, don't forget Korea, which, of course, houses the largest single customer of any commodity that Australia exports and we've seen a very successful Free Trade Agreement with Thailand. We're having a good discussion with the Malaysians about a Free Trade Agreements, we've got one with Singapore and as you go through each of the countries you can see the substance of a very good bilateral relationship. I think that is more important than architecture. I think we get hung up about architecture and we place too much store on how many minutes or hours are allocated to a particular meeting and whether one is added on at the end of another. Look at the substance of the relationships and I think you'll find that our relations with the countries in this region are as deep and abiding as they've been at any time in our history.
JOURNALIST:
So does that mean you will have some other bilaterals tomorrow if you have the chance for example with Mr Abe?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the whole thing is, how shall you put it, a feast of bilaterals.
Thank you.
[ends]