Blood at Yellow Water (6 page)

Jake had met Helen a number of times in
Japan, liked her for her honesty and professionalism, something he
didn’t always find in journalists. He also knew her daughter Sarah
Kwang, a fellow graduate at Melbourne University, and that had
established a common interest between them. As a government
official, Jake was restricted in what he could say to the media but
knew he could trust Helen to record any conversations accurately.
She was an experienced journalist, had done a number of serious
investigative pieces which had earned her a number of awards and
respect from her peers. She was now in her early sixties, just
barely over five feet tall, a second generation Chinese-Australian;
she had spent many years in Asia as a foreign correspondent and was
an acknowledged expert on Australian-Asian economic affairs.

After exchanging pleasantries, Helen said,
“So Jake, give me the gen? Are the negotiations going to bring
about some meaningful trade benefits this time?”

“We certainly hope so, we’ll get a better
feeling tomorrow after the officials talk. No doubt you raised that
with the Foreign Minister.”

“Oh, she just gave me the standard line that
everything is looking good. She won’t tell me whether either side
is willing to make concessions. Anyhow, I think the most
interesting development is the opening of the mine at Jabiru. I
hear there is a huge protest group setting up there, the
conservationists, the aboriginals, the anti-free traders, the
Japanese anti-nuclear lobby, the greenies and the locals are all up
in arms about it. I’m going down to Jabiru tomorrow with our
photographer to see if we can find a story there. You should go
there as well Jake.”

“I wouldn’t mind but I don’t think I’ll get
much time off from the negotiations,” Jake responded.

“Jake, do you know anything about the
Australian company Energet which has majority ownership in the
Jabiru uranium mine?”

“No, I don’t, why do you ask?” replied Jake,
curious because he had been unsuccessful in his own efforts to find
out anything about the company from Felix Sherbel. He had heard
that the Australian Defence Minister, Malcolm Crichton was a close
friend of Ron Freeman, the Managing Director of Energet, but opted
not to mention this to Helen.

“Oh, it’s just that it’s not listed on the
stock exchange and I can’t seem to find out who owns it. It’s shown
as an Australian company but nobody seems to know who the real
owners are.”

Jake shrugged his shoulders and changed the
topic. “I’ve been out of touch over the last few days, are there
any new developments on the China-Japan border disputes?”

“Nothing new, but the word is that the
Chinese are fuming over the Japanese fighter plane flying right
over the Senkaku Islands last week. Apparently the Chinese military
tried to shoot the aircraft down and the Japanese plane returned
fire and damaged one of the Chinese military bases, killing two
people. Tensions are simmering there at the moment and could blow
up anytime.”

Relations between China and Japan had
reached a low point when China unilaterally declared airspace over
the uninhabited Senkaku and Diaoyil Islands in the East China Sea
which had been in hot dispute between China and Japan, both of
which claimed sovereignty. Japan, the United States, South Korea
and Australia all made strong protests at this provocation and the
risk of conflict escalated as Japanese and American aircraft flew
deliberately into the newly marked zone. Discoveries of large oil
deposits in the sea near the islands apparently triggered China’s
actions.

Incursions by China to reclaim land in the
South China Sea for military purposes and its decision to send
warships into the western part of the Indian Ocean had led to
further protests. The U.S.A had responded by deploying additional
surveillance aircraft at Australian bases in northern Australia, an
action which China had protested against as intimidating.

Their conversation was interrupted when
Ambassador Connell, accompanied by some DFAT officials walked into
the bar, espied Jake sitting with Helen, and came over to them.
“We’re not giving away our negotiating tactics are we Stafford?”
said the Ambassador sarcastically as he walked past Jake’s
table.

“Certainly not, I was just filling Helen in
on the wonders of Kakadu. Did you know that there are two thousand
crocs at Yellow Water Ambassador?” Jake replied offhandedly.
Connell just grunted and hurried off. Jake winked at Helen, got off
his chair and wished her good night.

Jake walked through the foyer of the hotel
noticing the Japanese officials’ delegation had arrived in a
cavalcade of cars and were in the process of checking in. He went
back to his room and decided to give Shoni a call before going
through his briefing papers.

Shoni answered on the second ring. “ Hi
Shoni, how are you?”

“Oh Jake, I was hoping to hear from you,”
she said softly, “are you at the hotel now?”

“Yep, settling in for the start of the
negotiations tomorrow.” Jake proceeded to tell her of his trip up
to Kakadu, starting with attempt by Blakey to run him off the road
which caused her to give an audible gasp.

“He is a horrible man, that Blakey. I wish
Bill had hit him harder. It’s strange Jake that I’ve seen him
hanging around some Chinese guys who are staying in Daly
Waters.”

Jake thought about this. “That is strange, I
wouldn’t think the Chinese would have anything to do with the likes
of Blakey.”

Jake chatted to Shoni about the conference
for a few minutes, then said “I really loved our time together over
the weekend Shoni.”

“Me too Jake, it was fun,” Shoni responded.
Jake felt his heart beating faster just listening to her soft
voice.

“I would love to see you again Shoni, can we
catch up again as soon as this conference is over?”

“I’d like that too Jake, please come back as
soon as you can.”

“I will for sure Shoni. Bye for now.”

Jake disconnected his phone, thinking he
hadn’t felt this way about a woman for a long time. He read through
his briefing papers for an hour, made a few notes, watched the news
on the flat screen television and went to bed. He lay awake for a
long time thinking about the last few days, meeting Shoni and her
effect on him, spending time with his father and Lizzie, feeling
that his life was about to change. Eventually he drifted off to
sleep.

TUESDAY - YELLOW WATER -THE CONFERENCE

Jake woke early and decided to have a pre-breakfast
run through the hotel grounds and around the golf course. The
resort was located in a beautiful tropical setting with paths
running through colourful gardens and lagoons which at that time in
the morning were full of birdlife. Jake jogged along a path
admiring the scenery in the early morning light. He did a circuit
round the golf course and returned to his room, showered and
dressed for the day’s session.

He went down to the breakfast room just
before 7 am which was starting to fill up with officials from both
the Australian and Japanese delegation. He wandered over to the
buffet and saw that there was a choice of western or Japanese food.
Jake was amused to find traditional Japanese foods laid out across
the table. A Japanese chef had been flown in from a leading
restaurant in Sydney to supervise meals for the Japanese
contingent. He helped himself to some ramen, sushi and orange juice
and found a small table on the terrace where he could watch the
goings-on of the various groups huddled together in deep
conversations. He finished off his meal with tea and toast and
studied the faces of members of the Japanese delegation, many of
which he recognised. He moved across the room greeting a number of
the Japanese officials and business representatives who he knew
well from spending five years in Tokyo.

Suddenly he was touched lightly on the
shoulder and spun around to see Saito Watabe from the Japanese
Ministry of the Economy. Saito was beaming at him and said in
Japanese

“Ah Jake so good to see you again, how are
you my honourable friend?”

Jake shook his hand vigorously and replied
in Japanese “Welcome back to Australia Saito-san, I’m sure we will
have some fun while you are here although we don’t have a Kato
here.”

Jake knew Saito well and had spent many a
late night drinking and eating with him and some of his colleagues
at some of Tokyo’s best restaurants. The Kato was their favourite
drinking hole. Saito had a bright personality and was always the
last to leave the drinking sessions. He had invited Jake to his
home to have dinner with his lovely wife and children several times
and at one time had tried to set Jake up with his wife’s
sister.

“There doesn’t look like much time for fun
in the next few days but hopefully we will sign this agreement and
then have some celebrations,” responded Saito.

“Yeah, let’s do that, I’ll catch up with you
shortly around the negotiating table.”

After asking about the well-being of Saito’s
wife and children, Jake walked back to his room, picked up his
briefing papers and headed towards the conference room housing the
Market Access Working Group. While Jenny Antrim was the leader of
the Australian delegation on the panel, Jake was a key player in
the discussions given his deep knowledge of the issues from a
commercial point of view and sat in his allocated seat next to
Jenny.

Gradually, members of both delegations
arrived, all wearing business attire and carrying thick brief
cases. There were about twenty delegates from each side,
representing various government agencies in food and agriculture,
manufacturing industry, minerals, customs, finance and foreign
affairs and trade as well as industry bodies and business councils.
There were also interpreters from both sides.

After a few quiet words to Jenny, Jake got
up from his seat and helped himself to a cup of coffee and readied
himself for a long, arduous session. Jenny then called the meeting
to order, welcomed the Japanese delegation, set out the objectives
of the session and introduced the Australian delegates. She paused
from time to time so the interpreter could translate her words into
Japanese. Her Japanese counterpart responded in Japanese, also
pausing for the translation.

Jake became increasingly frustrated with the
proceedings, knowing that virtually all the Japanese could
understand and speak English but that the process had to continue.
Eventually, the discussion turned to the key issues, starting with
access into the Japanese market for Australian food and
agricultural products. The items were listed one by one; beef,
dairy products, fruit and vegetables, wheat, rice, sugar and so on,
all of which were subject to some form of quantitative restrictions
(quotas) or tariffs. Jake listened as the Japanese trotted out the
familiar reasons why these products could only be included in an
agreement if these restrictions could be phased out over a period
of up to fifteen years or more. He sighed, realising that only a
political intervention could break the impasse. Then the Japanese
side made its requests starting with the removal of Australian
tariffs on imports of Japanese motor vehicles and parts.

The discussions moved on but neither side
were prepared to make major concessions to break the deadlock.
Better progress was being made at the Working Group on Investment
and Services with some concessions agreed in providing better
access for services into both countries. Australia agreed to look
at a dispute settlement mechanism for Japanese investment in
Australia but held the line on changes to foreign ownership of
mineral resources. The only positive news was that the Defence
Cooperation Group had made steady progress in defining areas where
closer cooperation could take place.

The talks continued on through the day with
only a short lunch break but still there was no real advance on the
key issues as each side stuck to its long held positions. Despite
long-winded expositions from members of both sides, few concessions
were made. By 4 p.m. the joint chairmen agreed to break up the
working groups early to allow each side to work separately on the
issues that evening in preparation for the Plenary Session with
Ministers the next day.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON -THE MINE AT JABIRU

As he had a couple of hours to kill before dinner,
Jake thought he would drive to Jabiru to take a look at the mine.
He climbed into the Land Cruiser and drove the short distance to
Jabiru. The town was well laid-out, tidy and quiet, with neat
houses and modern shops surrounded by parkland. It had a population
of only 1200, mainly aboriginal. Jake drove through the town onto
the road to the uranium mine.

When he approached the mine site he could
see that things were anything but quiet. There was a large group of
protesters standing outside the gates, waving banners and chanting
slogans. In total there would have to be over 150 people there. A
large team of security guards formed a barrier outside the gates.
They were backed up by local Northern Territory (NT) Police and
members of the Australian Federal Police. Jake parked the wagon on
the side of the road, and looked around to see if he could identify
anyone. He saw some media people and camera crews and recognised
the petite figure of Helen Kwang. He walked over to her.

“Hi Helen, I thought I might find you
here.”

“Hello Jake I didn’t expect to see you here,
what has the conference finished already?” she enquired somewhat
cynically.

“No, we’re just having a break before we
re-group after dinner. What’s happening here?”

“It’s looking nasty Jake, there’s a lot of
opposition to this mine. The aboriginals in particular are angry as
they say they never gave permission to build another mine here on
their land. But there’s also the greenies, the anti-free traders,
the peaceniks, the anti-uranium group, a large contingent from the
Japanese anti-nuclear group, some locals as well as the usual
professional protesters. There was a clash with the security staff
this morning when the protesters tried to force their way through
the front gate. I think things could get ugly when the Prime
Ministers arrive to officially launch the mine on Friday.”