Donna Weeks, an experts on the Australia-Japan relationship, considers the implications of Abe’s recent trip to Australia.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent visit to Australia was welcomed by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as signifying the two countries’ “special relationship,” a sentiment shared by his conservative counterpart. Yet amid attacks from China over Abbott’s allegedly “offensive” remarks on Japan’s wartime past, as well as warnings from domestic critics over Australia’s perceived favoritism toward Japan, the regional implications of the two countries’ closer economic and defense ties are still being assessed.
The Diplomat spoke to Donna Weeks, Japan security expert at the University of the Sunshine Coast, about the historic significance of the first official visit by a Japanese leader to Australia since 2002, as well as the importance of the newly signed Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) and defense equipment agreement between the two U.S. allies.
What was the significance of Abe’s visit and the fact it was the first address by a Japanese leader to Australia’s Parliament?
It was an important one – he was due to come out in 2007 before domestic issues overcame him and he ended up resigning, so it was an overdue trip for him. He’s made a lot of the importance of his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi in the Australia-Japan relationship, so I suspect at some level it was an important trip personally.
I was impressed he gave his speech in English and I think he and his speechwriters did quite well, with even an Aussie twang to his ‘today.’ Overall it was quite thoughtful and creative; the reference to the NSW rescue services chief [for his work after the 2011 tsunami disaster] was quite a nice way to make a connection, as was the Dawn Fraser reference and the reference to [former Prime Minister] Julia Gillard. Whoever wrote the speech covered all the bases.
Abe started his speech by making a “solemn vow” renouncing war. What was the significance of this, particularly in the context of his recent move concerning Japan’s right to collective self-defense?
I think any Japanese prime minister is going to be caught between the form and substance…for a lot of people, as we’ve seen with China and others, no amount of apology [by Japan] over the war will ever suffice. For others, there is going to be the question as to why raise it. Japan is never going to be allowed to leave it behind, certainly not in my lifetime. Abe was at pains to say that the reinterpretation of the constitution isn’t going to lead to further militarism…he and his predecessors have been at pains to say that Japan is not going to go back. There’s been a stronger reaction to Abbott’s comments about the [Japanese World War II] submariners in Sydney harbor.
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