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All is forgiven - Rice trip back on agenda
By Cynthia Banham Foreign Affairs Reporter
February 8, 2006


THE most powerful woman in the world, Condoleezza Rice, has resurrected her visit to Australia, making amends for a perceived snub when she cancelled her trip in January.

The US Secretary of State will make her belated appearance in the middle of next month to coincide with the Commonwealth Games. Dr Rice angered the Howard Government when she cancelled her planned trip to Sydney in January for climate change talks after the illness of Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon.

Her withdrawal led to the Japanese Foreign Minister, Taro Aso, also pulling out of a planned visit to Australia to attend the first-ever ministerial level trilateral security talks, between Japan, the US and Australia.

Dr Rice was criticised at the time for snubbing Australia, in what was perceived to be yet another sign of a lack of interest in the region. Australia places high value on the trilateral security talks as a means of sending a strong signal to Beijing that the US is still engaged in the region.

The foreign ministers were scheduled to discuss concerns over the Taiwan Strait as well as escalating tensions between China and Japan. The location of the talks is undecided. Dr Rice is expected to travel to Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games.

Her decision has mollified Canberra somewhat, sending a signal she is sensitive to the perception Washington has been showing a lack of commitment to its ally. She had previously offended South-East Asian nations by sending her deputy, Robert Zoellick, in her place to the ASEAN Regional Forum in Laos in July. Confirmation of Dr Rice's visit has fuelled speculation the announcement of the new US ambassador to Australia will coincide with her trip. The absence of an ambassador for more than 12 months has been a matter of increasing concern to the Howard Government, with complaints from senior members that the vacancy is frustrating communication with the Bush Administration.

The most recent American ambassador, Tom Schieffer, who is a friend of the President, George Bush, left Canberra in January last year.

The acting ambassador, Bill Stanton, is due to finish his post in the middle of this year. And the embassy's political attache has just taken another job.

Dr Rice would be somewhat embarrassed if she visited with the ambassador post still vacant.

The Herald understands the delay to be in part due to what is known in the US as the "nanny problem". The original candidate had social security issues because of the hiring of an illegal immigrant worker.