China lurks as PM gets back on track

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s trip to Indonesia is an encouraging sign that the wheels of government have started to turn again after the political madness of the past two weeks. It would have been a bad sign if Morrison had been too preoccupied with the Liberal Party’s internal crisis to get to Jakarta. In fact, there are still signs the mess in Canberra is distracting Morrison. He decided not to attend the Pacific Islands Forum on Nauru this week and his trip is much shorter than the one originally planned, which was to cover Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

It is especially unfortunate that domestic politics prevented Morrison from paying an early visit to Mahathir Mohamad, who won a surprise victory in Malaysia’s elections this year. Malaysia is now the crucial ‘‘swing’’ country in the contest with China over the South China Sea and democratic values. This is not just a protocol visit, however. Morrison and Indonesian President Joko Widodo are due to sign a free-trade agreement that represents a unique opportunity for both countries. Lurking here, too, is the competition with China. Indonesia has signed up to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative and refused to form a common front against China’s South China Sea expansionism. A trade deal with Australia will underline that Indonesia is not solely dependent on China and can decide for itself.