Kevin Rudd was the Prime Minister of Australia from 2007–2010 and in 2013. He had a career in Australian government as a diplomat in China, foreign minister, and member of Parliament. After leaving government, Rudd became a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he researched U.S.-China relations. In 2015, he became president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. In this lightly edited interview with Rudd, who is in Queensland, Australia, we discuss Australia-China relations, the idea of a “new cold war” and Chinese politics.
Illustration by Lauren Crow
Q: In early November, China essentially cut off trade with Australia in a few key exports, including copper. Is that a big deal?
A: These are significant developments. It’s interesting to note that China has not touched iron ore, on which China is strategically dependent, because China’s other international sourcing of iron ore cannot be diverted to make up its own domestic demand gap. So, what’s China t
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