Security and defence advice falsely claimed to have come from the former prime minister Kevin Rudd was supplied to Chinese intelligence agents by an Australian businessman, a jury has heard. Rudd is expected to testify in the foreign interference trial of businessman Alexander Csergo, which began on Thursday. Csergo, 59, has pleaded not guilty to one count of reckless foreign interference after providing reports to two people he believed were working for China’s Ministry of State Security. The owner of IT consulting firm Conversys was living in Shanghai and working…
Tag: Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd: Australia’s incoming ambassador to US says balloon saga threatens push to ease tensions with China
The incoming Australian ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, has warned the Chinese balloon saga has created new “diplomatic clouds” that put at risk recent efforts to ease tensions between Beijing and Washington. In a speech in Brisbane on Wednesday, Rudd also warned against expecting any “softening in China’s ideological cleavage with the west”. Rudd, a former Labor prime minister who remains as president of the Asia Society until late next month, emphasised that he was offering “personal reflections” which “do not represent the views of the Australian government”.…
Kevin Rudd calls Peter Dutton an ‘idiot’ over China comments – video
Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd has attacked defence minister Peter Dutton, calling him an ‘idiot’ for believing hairy-chested commentary about China would improve Australia’s strategic circumstances. Rudd was speaking with former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop at an event at the Australian National University to promote Rudd’s new book on China-US relations titled The Avoidable War ► Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube The Guardian
Kevin Rudd attacks ‘idiot’ Peter Dutton over ‘hairy-chested’ comments on China
Kevin Rudd has launched a personal attack on Peter Dutton, labelling the defence minister an “idiot” for believing hairy-chested commentary about China would improve Australia’s strategic circumstances. The former Australian prime minister also took aim at Beijing, saying that if Chinese officials really wanted a reset in the relationship with Australia he “could not think of a dumber thing to do than what they just did in the Solomons”. Rudd was referring to the fallout from the signing of the security deal between China and Solomon Islands, in a wide-ranging…