Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Minister, what is the government’s view on Japan’s announcement that it will be imposing a number of strong measures in response to North Korea’s nuclear test?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First, I thank the honourable member for Boothby for his question. Second, I would like to say that the government of Japan informed us last night that it was going to take a number of very strong measures in response to North Korea’s nuclear test. We appreciate the fact that our friends in Japan have notified us of their actions. The measures include a ban on port calls in Japan by all North Korean vessels, a ban on the importation of all North Korean goods and a ban on the entry into Japan of all North Korean nationals apart from some special cases, such as on humanitarian grounds.

The Australian government welcomes Japan’s strong measures, and we encourage the international community to consider the measures that Japan has taken and, where it is relevant and where possible, to take similar or at least proportional steps. Japan’s response, like our own, takes care to avoid imposing additional pain on the long-suffering ordinary people of North Korea. The Japanese, though, have shown considerable leadership here, and I think it is important that Australia recognises that.

Let me just say in conclusion that the United Nations Security Council are still considering sanctions, and we hope that they will come to a conclusion—and that it will be a strong and effective conclusion—fairly soon. But of course there will be the whole question of enforcement. There are a number of North Korean ships in the Asia-Pacific region; it is only reasonable that all of us would want to know whether those ships were carrying dual-use technologies or technologies that could be used for North Korea’s defence machine—its nuclear component or its missile component in particular. Under the Proliferation Security Initiative, we will be continuing to look for ways—of course, within the bounds of international law—to intercept ships and to be able to inspect ships where the ships themselves may be suspicious or their cargos may be suspicious.

But I think all of this throws a good deal of light on the issue of the Proliferation Security Initiative. I do not think it has a terribly catchy name, but it is a way of reinforcing in very practical terms the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and the non-proliferation regime in relation to other weapons of mass destruction. I think in relation to North Korea this has the potential to be a particular test of its effectiveness, but I am sure it will live up to expectations.