Australian FM to visit Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will visit Japan and South Korea next week in an effort to promote the timely conclusion of the Free Trade Agreements with the two countries, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday. The visit from Oct. 14 to 20 will also take her to Hong Kong, which hosts a large contingent of overseas Australians, according to a press release on the ministry's website. During the week, Bishop is expected to meet students, alumni, academics and business leaders in the region to explore how young Australians will be able to capitalize on the study and internship opportunities to be offered under the New Colombo Plan, a 100 million AU dollar (94.7 million U.S. dollar) government program aiming to encourage more Asians to study in Australia and more Australians to study in Asia. In Japan, Bishop is expected to meet her counterpart Fumio Kishida and members of the Diet. Last Friday, Bishop, Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry issued a joint statement in Bali, Indonesia, opposing " coercive or unilateral actions" that could change the status quo in the East China Sea and called on claimants to maritime disputes in the South China Sea to refrain from destabilizing actions. China responded on Monday, saying that the three countries should not use their alliance as an excuse to intervene in territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea, and urged them to refrain from inflaming regional tensions. "We urge the relevant countries to respect facts, distinguish right from wrong, be cautious, and stop all words and deeds that are not beneficial to the proper handling of the issue and undermine regional stability," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. In South Korea, Bishop will meet Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Trade Minister Yoon Sang-jick and other Cabinet members. Bishop will become the first Australian foreign minister to address a major international forum on cyberspace when she attends the Seoul Cyberspace Conference on Oct. 17. She will join ministers from around 30 countries and regions, as well as business and civil society leaders to discuss cyber security issues and the impact of the Internet on economic growth and development. Bishop will visit Hong Kong, reinforcing its importance as an economic partner and as a leading regional base for Australian business. In Hong Kong she will meet Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So. Planning is also underway for Bishop's first official trip to China which is to take place this year, according to the press release.