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Editorials: More uppers from Downer

When Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says something about Asia, it is usually worth listening to: His buffoonery over the many years he has occupied his post has never failed to entertain.
And this week it has been no different. Downer's latest attempt to downplay or pussy-foot around the complexities of the region came in response to a comment by former Australian prime minister Paul Keating, who warned that Sino-Japanese ties remained awkward and that the APEC summit in Sydney should address this and other tensions.
Downer, never one to turn the other cheek to Keating's scathing attacks on the Liberal-National government over the decades, responded by exaggerating Keating's comments and suggesting that things are far rosier.
Downer's aides might be well advised to inform the minister of the latest expression of concern yesterday by Tokyo on unaccounted-for spending within the Chinese military.
It may seem to some that Chinese-Japanese relations are healing after the more combative style of the previous Japanese administration was softened by the present prime minister.
Indeed, Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan (曹剛川) is visiting Japan, the first time in a decade for a Chinese defense official of this rank.
But the surface niceties do not take into account growing nationalism in Japan and its growing willingness to look back on history and whitewash atrocities. Likewise, in China, the mood is as unaccommodating as ever toward Japanese who rationalize that nation's war record and exploit its symbolism.
And while they're at it, Downer's aides might also inform their minister of alleged hacking attacks on Germany by Chinese espionage units. But we shouldn't expect public expressions of concern over Chinese aggression toward its would-be friends from the Australian government, even though it is all too aware of significant spying by the Chinese on Australia and Australian citizens, particularly of Chinese origin.
But the best comes last.
Downer, according to the Australian Associated Press. said: "[China is] not a country which has aggressive intent toward other countries with the possible exception of Taiwan."
We can only be thankful that Downer, at least on this occasion, did not blame Taiwan for China's "possible" aggressive intent. Perhaps this was because he wasn't directly addressing members of the Chinese government who he has regularly sought to impress.
Some in the Taiwanese government might be looking to a new government in Australia to reinvigorate informal relations with Canberra, even as the Australians look forward to astonishing amounts of money from uranium sales to Beijing.
But the removal of John Howard as prime minister does not necessarily mean that this will happen.
Opposition Labor party leader Kevin Rudd is a former diplomat and a rarity in the Australian parliament in that he is bilingual (he is fluent in Mandarin), but there is little evidence to suggest that his apparently close understanding of Chinese politics and foreign policy will engender greater caution in dealing with Beijing.
But at the very least, we are entitled to expect that Rudd and the foreign minister he appoints will treat cross-strait tensions with the tact they deserve, unlike the present minister, whose departure can only enhance Taiwan's interests in Australia.
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