The Avoidable War: Kevin Rudd
THE AVOIDABLE WAR
The Honourable Kevin Rudd AC
In-Conversation with
The Honourable Mike Rann AC CNZM
Kevin Rudd, the former Prime Minister of Australia, and internationally respected diplomat and China-watcher, offers a chilling vision of what a superpower conflict in Australia’s region might look like, and proposes a way forward to avoid it.
A war between China and the United States would be catastrophic, deadly, and destructive for all involved – but it is no longer unthinkable. The relationship between the United States and China, the world's two superpowers, is peculiarly volatile. It rests on a seismic fault of cultural misunderstanding, historical grievance, and ideological incompatibility. No other nations are so quick to offend and be offended. Their militaries play a dangerous game of chicken, corporations steal intellectual property, intelligence satellites peer and AI technicians plot. The capacity for either country to cross a fatal line grows daily. But is war truly inevitable?
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has studied, lived in, and worked with China for more than forty years, and is one of the very few people who can offer real insight into the mindsets of the leaders whose judgements will determine if a war will be fought.
The Avoidable War demystifies the actions of both sides, explaining and translating them for the benefit of the other. Geopolitical disaster is still avoidable, but only if these two giants can find a way to coexist without betraying their core interests through what Rudd calls "managed strategic competition". Should they fail, down that path lies the possibility of a war that would rewrite the future of both countries, our region, and the world.
In this presentation Kevin Rudd will discuss ideas from his book The Avoidable War, followed by a conversation with The Hon Mike Rann AC CNZM.
We encourage you to submit questions when you register.
A lifelong student of China, Kevin Rudd has become one of today's most thoughtful analysts of China's development. The Avoidable War focuses on the signal challenge posed by China's evolution to America and to world order. Can the US and China avoid sleepwalking into a conflict? Rudd offers constructive steps for the two powers to stabilize their relations.
HENRY A. KISSINGER
Click HERE to purchase a copy of Kevin's book The Avoidable War from Matilda Bookshop's website and choose Hawke Centre Events Free S.A. Postage as the delivery option. They will then deliver or post (FREE OF CHARGE) your book to South Australian addresses or it can be collected at the event.
Presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre
EVENT DETAILS
Saturday 30 April 2022, 4pm - 5.15pm
Allan Scott Auditorium, Hawke Building,
UniSA City West Campus,
55 North Terrace Adelaide MAP
SPEAKERS
THE HONOURABLE KEVIN RUDD AC
PRESIDENT AND CEO, ASIA SOCIETY; PRESIDENT, ASIA SOCIETY POLICY INSTITUTE
Kevin Rudd served as Australia's twenty-sixth prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and then as its foreign minister from 2010 to 2012, before returning as prime minister in 2013. He is the global president and CEO of Asia Society in New York and has been president of the Asia Society Policy Institute since January 2015. Rudd graduated from the Australian National University with honours in Chinese studies and is fluent in Mandarin. He also studied at the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei.
Twitter: @MrKRudd
linktr.ee/mrkrudd
THE HONOURABLE MIKE RANN AC CNZM
CHAIR, CLIMATE GROUP
For almost a decade (2002 to 2011) Mike Rann was Premier of South Australia and served as Labor Leader for a record 17 years. He held a range of Ministerial portfolios including Economic Development, Sustainability and Climate Change, the Arts and Social Inclusion. Mike Rann was National President of the ALP during the Prime Ministership of Kevin Rudd.
In 2012 Mike was appointed Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and in 2014 Ambassador to Italy, Albania, Libya and San Marino.
Mike Rann is currently the Chair of the London headquartered Climate Group which operates in 50 countries and has a membership of 260 state and regional governments, and more than 500 corporations.
Mike is also Chair of the UK charity Power of Nutrition and is a Visiting Professor at the Policy Institute of King’s College London.
Twitter: @Mike_Rann
PRESENTED BY
THE BOB HAWKE PRIME MINISTERIAL CENTRE
While the views presented by speakers within The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre public program are their own and are not necessarily those of either the University of South Australia, or The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, they are presented in the interest of open debate and discussion in the community and reflect our themes of: Strengthening our Democracy - Valuing our Diversity - Building our Future.
The copying and reproduction of any transcripts within The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre public program is strictly forbidden without prior arrangements.
While the views presented by speakers within The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre public program are their own and are not necessarily those of either the University of South Australia, or The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, they are presented in the interest of open debate and discussion in the community and reflect our themes of: Strengthening our Democracy - Valuing our Diversity - Building our Future. The Hawke Centre reserves the right to change their program at any time without notice.
