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directly involved in both these issues, given their geographical position. A recent editorial in the 'Australian' urged Mr Hawke to take any possible initiative to reduce tensions in the region. Officials say that this is going a little too far, and no 'initiatives' are contemplated; but Mr Hawke will take the message that Australia is very concerned.
5. The visit to Hong Kong will have a deliberately low profile. Mr Hawke has turned down several invitations to speak. He does not wish to be caught up in speculation about the future of the colony, and, apart from a quiet lunch with the Governor, the Australians are presenting this visit very much as a 'stopover'.
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6. There has been some uncertainty about the exact status of the visit to Japan until recently, largely as a result of the election there. The Japanese have now made Mr Hawke an official visitor, involving a higher level of protocol. is expecting to make four major speeches; two on economic and two on political matters. Apart from security issues and future multilateral trade negotiations, the Australians are expecting the Japanese to discuss the forthcoming Economic Summit. They also believe that the Japanese may still be interested in the idea of a South Pacific Community, and may raise this with Mr Hawke. If so, officials believe that his response will be a pragmatic one, but that he has considerable regard for Sir John Crawford, the leading Australian proponent of the idea. He may therefore not be totally unsympathetic.
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The visit to Korea is seen largely as a gesture of re- assurance, after the airliner incident of last September, and the Rangoon bombing. Mr Hawke wishes to show the Koreans that
they are part of a stable system of alliances and that Australia can be counted on" In a sense, this will replace the visit that President Chun should have made to Australia in October last year, immediately after the bombing. Several Australian Ministers have visited Korea recently. It is Australia's third or fourth largest trading partner, and its fastest growing market. Total trade both ways amounts to $1.2 billion. The Australians expect that there will be some detailed discussion of trade matters, such as accusations against the Koreans of dumping and the removal of Developing Country Preference from further Korean imports to Australia. However, the Australians do not expect to raise human rights issues, especially in view of the recent releases of political prisoners.
8. The visit to China is to a large extent a follow-on to the visit in April last year to Canberra by Premier Zhao Ziyang. It will, however, be an easier visit, because US/China tensions have receded since then. (Mr Hawke will be particularly keen
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