Australia backs off on Japan whaling

Australia appears to be backing off on threats to take Japan to court over its whaling program. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says diplomacy will be the first course of action. Mr Rudd is due to arrive in Hiroshima later Sunday for his first visit to Japan - a trip which will be dominated by the apparent chill in relations between the two countries since last year's election. Australia upset Japan by sending a vessel to track Japanese whalers and gather evidence for possible international court action, and by releasing footage of a slaughtered mother and calf being hauled on to a boat. Mr Rudd further offended Japan by visiting China first and leaving Tokyo off the itinerary for his first major overseas trip several weeks ago. Mr Rudd's five-day visit this week is aimed at repairing the damage. Before leaving, Mr Rudd played down the prospect of a legal challenge to Japan's whaling program. New Zealand has already given up on the idea. "Our position on the importance of protecting whales has not changed but let's give diplomacy a go for the period ahead," Mr Rudd told Network Ten. "There are several opportunities for that to be advanced, including through the upcoming (International Whaling Commission) meeting." Whaling would be raised during talks with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Tokyo later this week, he said. "But we have clear principles when it comes to the proper protection of whales in the Southern Ocean. Japan has a different view," he said. "We'll seek to resolve that diplomatically and let's see how the diplomacy runs. But this is a disagreement among friends." Mr Rudd said the relationship between the two countries was "in first-class working order" and was based on strategic security, an economic partnership and on enduring friendship. The Mandarin-speaking prime minister dismissed suggestions he was more interested in China, which has overtaken Japan as Australia's most important trade partner. "The Asia Pacific region involves many important states. Japan is critical. Also, we've got other partners within the region as well," he said. "China and Japan between them are our largest trading partners. They are huge, and so it's important to attend to all of these relationships." The key challenge with Japan was to take the existing strategic security and economic partnership to the next stage, he said. "Which is why, when I visit the Japanese, I'll be talking with Prime Minister Fukuda about how we increase our security co-operation as well," he said. But Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop said Mr Rudd had gone out of his way to offend Japan. "His conduct toward Japan over the last six months has been unforgivable," Ms Bishop told ABC TV.Mr Rudd is due to arrive in Hiroshima at 1900 (AEST). -AAP.