The Australian Business Network
His name is Kevin. He’s from Beijing. And he’s here to help.
That’s the quick summary of Kevin Rudd’s star turn at Wednesday night’s “China in the World” annual lecture at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Margin Call joined the packed audience in Manning Clark Hall — a rare occurrence at a public lecture. Among them were Labor’s Member for Gellibrand Tim Watts (one of the Albanese government’s smartest foreign policy brains), members of Australia’s intelligence community and Australia’s previous China ambassador Graham Fletcher, now a fellow at the Lowy Institute (and an excellent addition to Australia’s often juvenile China debate).
Rudd and Fletcher both worked in the Australian Embassy together in Beijing in the 1980s when they were junior diplomats.
“I was first secretary, very important. Graham was only a third secretary, much less important,” said Rudd. “Between us we managed the photocopying.”
The lecture itself was on the evolving ideological struggle over AI in Xi Jinping’s China. Dr Rudd (one of the ANU’s greatest exports, now with a PhD in Xi studies from Oxford) argued that Xi’s party sees the potential for AI to allow their mighty state to seize power from the market.
The former Prime Minister said he is closely tracking the debate in China’s ideological literature. Evidently, he is also getting first hand insight. (Rudd revealed that he had just flown into Canberra from China’s capital — where you only imagine the access Australia’s former Ambassador to America got as a rare trusted foreigner who has had direct, recent experience with Beijing’s great obsession: Donald Trump’s second administration).
While a certain ageing chorus in Australia cheers on Paul Keating for stuffing his Montblanc scrawled notes on how to deal with Xi into Anthony Albanese’s jacket pocket, Rudd is the former Labor PM with stature on China within the federal government. Thank goodness for that. On China, Rudd makes Keating sound like a dilettante.
Endorsement from one K-Rudd
The ANU’s newly appointed chancellor Gordon de Brouwer — a retired senior public servant — was also present. He served as an official in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet during the Rudd government, a famously demanding period for the city’s mandarins, as the PM acknowledged.
“I can think of no better person to be the leader of this university. Well done, mate,” said Rudd, warmly.
“Gordon has remarkable resilience. He had to survive me as Prime Minister … The Australian National University is dead easy after that.”
It has been a wrenching few years for the ANU under the chancellorship of Julie Bishop and her remarkably unpopular vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell. Senior staff have been leaking against each other, while the university — my alma mater — has undergone waves of sometimes perplexing redundancies and reorganisations.
Rudd, who was a munificent supporter of the university when Prime Minister (including founding the China in the World centre, which is now led by Ben Hillman, who organised Wednesday night’s lecture), finished his address with some clear words on the subject.
“You don’t have to be a Rhodes scholar to work out there have been a few problems at the mill here recently at the ANU.
“This is a fantastic university — a first class, world class university. So it’s time I think just for everyone to put the bullshit away and just get on with the business.
“That’s why I’m delighted that you’ve got Gordon at the helm. This university, anchored in its statute, anchored in its mission and anchored now with his leadership is going to surge ahead.
“Now let’s get behind the new leadership. Thank you very much.”
And with that, he was off to a dinner appointment (with Margin Call following to where and with whom).
The venue: Symposium, on the ANU campus, to the delight of surprised fellow diners.
Rudd’s fellow dinner guests: de Brouwer, Hillman, Watts, as well as the ANU’s acting vice-chancellor Rebekah Brown, ANU’s acting provost Joan Leach.
As we peered through the window, it looked to us like Brown’s chances of getting the permanent gig are on the rise.
Read related topics:China Ties
Will GlasgowSenior journalist and Margin Call columnist