SYDNEY — After much grief in Canberra, Kevin Rudd has set a date to meet with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Tokyo. True, it's a bit late and the timing comes a poor second to his talks with other world leaders. But at least it's on and tempers may now cool.
As Australia's prime minister since November, Rudd has not yet spoken directly with the leader of Australia's key trading partner. This country's Mandarin-speaking leader has been trumpeted in Australia as the bright new hope for cozy diplomatic and economic relations with China. That revved-up excitement is now sounding decidedly flat following criticism in Canberra and Tokyo that the chumminess comes at the expense of Australia's traditional closeness with Japan.
Past prime ministers — both the recently rejected Liberal, John Howard, and before him Labor's Bob Hawke — were punctilious about exchanging personal calls with Japanese leaders immediately after their elections. The system worked to mutual benefit.