Bob Carr warns Julie Bishop over dealing with North Korea

THE Foreign Minister has been issued a serious warning to rethink her strategy when it comes to engaging China over the nuclear threat.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has been warned by a predecessor to rethink her strategy when it comes to engaging China on North Korea. Picture: AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

FORMER foreign minister Bob Carr has issued a stern warning to Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop over Australia’s dealings with China in addressing the situation in North Korea.

The Prime Minister has been muscling up to China, putting pressure on the powerful nation to exert its influence over the rogue nation as it boosts its nuclear threats.

Last week, alongside US Vice President Mike Pence, Mr Turnbull said “they eyes of the world are on Beijing” when it comes to doing something about the “reckless and dangerous regime” that he said “puts the peace and stability of our region at risk”.

Ms Bishop has also urged China to rein in the regime.

“We believe that more should and could be done by China,” she told media on a recent trip to Tokyo, adding the two countries had a “unique” relationship.

But Mr Carr, a former Labor foreign minister and now director of the Australia China Relations Institute, has warned our leaders their approach to China is not productive.

“We don’t get anywhere and I just make this point to Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop, we don’t get anywhere on this by hectoring China,” he told Triple M’s Grill Team Sydney.

“China doesn’t want a North Korea regime that’s throwing its weight around in the way that Kim is, it’s not in their interest.”

Former foreign minister Bob Carr has warned Julie Bishop and Malcolm Turnbull they are going the wrong way about calling on China. Picture: Colin Murty/The Australian

Mr Carr said there was a lack of understanding around the level of influence China wields over North Korea.

He detailed a conversation with a former diplomat who he said told him: “We’ve got 20 neighbours, 20 nations we can describe as neighbour, and we’ve got less influence with this one (North Korea) than any of the others.”

Mr Carr’s comments were not the first warning the Foreign Minister has received over North Korea.

Ms Bishop was singled out in a statement from a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of North Korea in a report issued by the nation’s state news agency last week.

The report said Ms Bishop had “better think twice” about the consequences of her “reckless tongue-lashing”, and criticised Australia for “ blindly and zealously toeing the US line”.

Mr Carr also expressed concern about US President Donald Trump’s aggressive public communication when it came to North Korea.

“What worries me about Trump is that he’s ignored all the lessons in the leadership of previous esteemed American presidents,” he said.

Citing John F Kennedy and Ronald Regan, Mr Carr said Mr Trump’s predecessors “never taunted their opponents”.

“They made eloquent speeches ... but they never taunted saying ‘ha ha ha, we beat you again’ or ‘I defy you to do this’. This is the mindless way Trump is carrying on through his tweet diplomacy,” he said.

“If there’s a regime in the world’s history one wouldn’t want to taunt it’s this maniacal regime in North Korea. That’s what worries me about America’s position.”