Kevin Rudd

 26th Prime Minister of Australia

 

About Kevin

Born and raised in country Queensland, Kevin Rudd became Australia’s 26th Prime Minister in 2007 after leading the Australian Labor Party into government after more than eleven years in opposition.

Kevin served as Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, and again in 2013. He was also Australia’s Foreign Minister between 2010 and 2012.

A global authority on China, the Australian Government announced in December 2022 that he would be appointed Australia’s Ambassador to the United States in Washington DC.

Kevin recently celebrated 40 years of marriage to his wife, Thérèse Rein, with whom he has three children and three grandchildren.

Latest Books

Other work

Kevin is founder and co-chair of the National Apology Foundation, which exists to advance the aims of the parliament’s Apology to Indigenous Australians and the Closing the Gap program.

He also holds honorary positions with institutions in Australia, the United States and Europe. Find more here

Latest media

Media
FT ‘Rachman Review’: The Ideology Behind Xi Jinping’s China
FT ‘Rachman Review’: The Ideology Behind Xi Jinping’s China

Kevin Rudd tells Gideon Rachman how an understanding of Communist ideology helps explain Xi Jinping’s decision to roll back on the market reforms of his predecessor Deng Xiaoping.

Politico ‘China Watcher’: One Book, Three Questions
Politico ‘China Watcher’: One Book, Three Questions

Kevin Rudd was interviewed by Politco’s Phelim Kine about his new book ‘On Xi Jinping’.

Understanding Xi Jinping’s ideology isn’t easy, but a new book attempts to do just that: Globe and Mail
Understanding Xi Jinping’s ideology isn’t easy, but a new book attempts to do just that: Globe and Mail

To ignore the importance of ideology in Xi’s China is to disregard a huge tool for understanding the country and its leaders’ decisions, argues Kevin Rudd.

Statement
Statement

A statement from the Former Prime Ministerial Office of Kevin Rudd.

What Will a Post-Xi China Look Like?
What Will a Post-Xi China Look Like?

Kevin Rudd writes on the fragility of Xi’s long-term ideological project in this excerpt of ‘On Xi Jinping: How Xi’s Marxist Nationalism is Shaping China and the World’

Xi’s grandiose plan for the Asia-Pacific is not working. Kevin Rudd knows why: Sydney Morning Herald
Xi’s grandiose plan for the Asia-Pacific is not working. Kevin Rudd knows why: Sydney Morning Herald

Pressure and release. That’s China’s formula for dealing with Australia, and a range of other nations, according to Kevin Rudd, one of the West’s foremost experts on the ideology and strategy of President Xi Jinping.

Kevin Rudd ‘On Xi Jinping’ at Harvard University
Kevin Rudd ‘On Xi Jinping’ at Harvard University

Kevin Rudd joined Graham Allison and Mark Wu to discuss ‘On Xi Jinping’ at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Kevin Rudd ‘On Xi Jinping’: The Diplomat
Kevin Rudd ‘On Xi Jinping’: The Diplomat

Kevin Rudd spoke to ‘The Diplomat’ magazine about his new book, ‘On Xi Jinping’.

Kevin Rudd ‘On Xi Jinping’ at CSIS
Kevin Rudd ‘On Xi Jinping’ at CSIS

Kevin Rudd launched ‘On Xi Jinping’ at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC.

Kevin Rudd ‘On Xi Jinping’ at Asia Society, New York
Kevin Rudd ‘On Xi Jinping’ at Asia Society, New York

Kevin Rudd launched his new book “On Xi Jinping: How Xi’s Marxist Nationalism is Changing China and the World” at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York City.