‘Ninja warrior’ not content to hide among the shadows

China's President Xi Jinping. Picture: AAP

For years now Australia has faced an aggressive campaign of demands and rhetoric from China’s “wolf warriors” and from the embassy in Canberra, demanding we agree to a long list of demands before relations
can return to “normal”.

The wolf warriors have had free rein and accused Australia of being captive to the United States, especially under former president Donald Trump, while going virtually undiplomatically challenged for their undiplomatic behaviour.

Former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd says China is trying to use tough rhetoric and restrictions on Australia as a warning to others in a policy described as “kill one to warn a hundred”.

But in the last few months things have changed, there’s a new diplomatic warrior breed abroad – the ninja warrior.

Being appointed during the Covid-19 pandemic amid restrictions on diplomatic exchange has not held back Japan’s new ambassador Shingo Yamagami from
holding receptions, giving speeches, media interviews and speaking out in a more public fashion than any Japanese ambassador has – or would have dreamt of doing – in modern times.

Yamagami’s upfront and unapologetic approach has attracted the attention of Australia’s politics – for good and bad.

For some he’s seen as publicly expounding a necessary view from Asia in Australia, for others he is overstepping the line and needs to exercise more caution.

So far there is no evidence the wolf warriors of the
Chinese diplomatic world, sweeping all before them in the propaganda war, should exercise “caution” but it seems ninja warrior Yamagimi is in Australia to work the system just as the Chinese diplomats are doing.