Ambassador Rudd presents his credentials to the US President

Transcript: Doorstop by Australian Ambassador to the United States The Hon Dr Kevin Rudd AC, following presentation of credentials to United States President Joseph R Biden

Lafayette Square 5.59pm Wednesday 19 April 2023

Ambassador Rudd: Well, it's great to be here in Washington. And today, it was a great honour for Thérèse and I to present credentials to President Biden, the President of the United States. It was a good conversation. The most important thing is the President's really looking forward to getting to Australia. And we're looking forward to welcoming him in the next few months, when he makes the trek down under. This is an extraordinarily important relationship for our country, both on questions of national security, but also on the economy and climate. These are near and dear to the President's heart as well. So Thérèse and I had a great time in the White House, catching up with some other friends on staff who we've known for more years than we now care to remember. Some of them have moved on. So over to you, folks.

Journalist: Mr. Rudd, first off has the Oval Office changed much in the last 15 years?

Ambassador: It's a new president. I figured that out. Since I was last there, well I was first there with President Obama. It's an extraordinarily elegant office. And I didn't notice whether the statues had moved from there to there, where the Churchill was in place or out of place. And the usual stuff, which people comment on. What I remember was, from where we've just been, is just how personally warm President Biden is. He loves Australia, he has a great relationship with our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and he's looking forward very much to traveling. That's what we took.

Journalist: Mr Rudd you're the first former prime minister to take up this role. What are you looking to bring to the position?

Ambassador: The President and I discussed that point, and what am I hoping to bring to it? Well, here in Washington, there's so much that has been done by my predecessors, ambassadors of all sorts of political persuasions. So the foundations are good. That's the first thing I'd say. Secondly, one of the reasons the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister asked me to come here was to deal with the challenge we all face with the challenge presented by China's rise and maintaining strategic stability, doing so in partnership with our allied United States, while at the same time stabilizing our relationship with Beijing. That's one thing I'll be working on. But there's another set as well, which had to do with climate change, energy security, and the economic opportunities which are available to Australia in this dynamic relationship with America. So these two areas are long standing passions and interests of mine. To the extent that I can assist in advising the government back home in Canberra on these things and working with US administration, I'll do so.

Journalist: In America, they often call people by their former titles. What title will the Biden administration be using for yourself?

Ambassador: Hopefully, Kevin. I'm from Queensland, that's pretty formal up there, so they can call me whatever they like. So that's actually not a big question for us or for them. It's actually just getting on with the business. And there's a lot of stuff that's on, you're all familiar with AUKUS. You've been here for a long time. It's a huge priority for both governments and the UK. In fact, I was up on Capitol Hill yesterday speaking with a whole bunch of Congressmen at the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the subject. And beyond that, the wider questions of national security and beyond that climate change, sustainability in the economy. So what they call me? Kevin will do fine.

Journalist: Did the President mention AUKUS when you met him? And do you still believe Australia's left strategically naked by the AUKUS agreement, as you told ABC 730 report last year?

Ambassador: My position in relation to AUKUS is pretty clear. I've always supported it. And the questions I raised then as a think-tanker have subsequently been addressed by the Australian Government and its dealings with the United States Government. So I think it's important to understand the accuracy of what's been said in the past, and what we're committed to today. Bottom line is, AUKUS has bipartisan support in Australia, bipartisan support in the United Kingdom, and bipartisan support in the United States. And you know something, given where we are on the world, given the extraordinary strategic challenges we face, that level of sustained bipartisanship will be necessary through the 2020s and beyond.

Journalist: Mr. Rudd, did you discuss China in any context with the President today? And are you concerned at the depths to which the US China relationship seems to have suffered?

Ambassador: Well, this was an introductory call and the presentation of credentials. So we didn't get down into a whole lot of detail. Of course I mentioned the fact that I'd be working with his Administration on China policy questions. That's almost a statement of the obvious.

On your second question, which is where US-China relations stands at the moment, you're right. It's difficult, it's really difficult. Let's be honest about it. But the challenge and responsibility of friends and allies of the United States, and those who have long standing partnerships with China, is to work with both governments to see what we can do to assist in the stabilization of the US-China relationship as well. That is easy to say. It's very hard to do. But it's one of the things that I'll be using my own advice back to the government in Canberra on and subject to their guidance, engaging the administration on as well.

Journalist: Is part of what you'll be doing perhaps is trying to encourage the US Administration to go softer on China, to be a little bit more gentle in its relations with Beijing?

Ambassador: Tim Lester, you and I have known each other for a very long time. 20-30 years, perhaps. That's what I call incremental verballing of my position. No, it's simply this that if you look day to day, week to week in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Straits, the East China Sea, what are we all worried about? We're worried about the possibility of crisis and conflict arising by accident, through collision of aircraft, collision of vessels. So under those circumstances, what is important is for all of us to work with our friends in DC, and our friends in Beijing, on building what Foreign Minister Wong calls strategic guardrails around this critical relationship, so reduce the risk of crisis conflict and war by accident. And that is a core thing, a core challenge for the moment. It's very hard to do, and compounded by the degree of difficulty which arises from China not picking up the phone, for example, for several days during the height of the balloons.

Journalist: You've always opposed the extradition and the punishment of Julian Assange here in the US. Was that something you had a chance to raise with the President, how we approached the Administration on that, more generally, and do you think his chances of avoiding that altered in any way by the latest information leaked, that they're dealing with you in the US?

Ambassador: First thing to say is, both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have been pretty clear about their position on this matter. They've said it's gone on for too long, far too long. It's a position which, of course, I support. Secondly, however, it's important to understand that [for] those of us working on these questions, achieving progress and an outcome is not going to be aided by any rolling commentary on our engagements with either the US Government, whether those engagements are happening or not, or with lawyers, or with the family. I'm concerned about the practical business of how do we bring this matter to a conclusion. And I'll continue to work on that, under guidance from Canberra.

Journalist: Mr Rudd, we had an extraordinary day in US media, political history, yesterday with Fox News, paying more than a billion dollars in Australian terms to Fox News, the false claims that were broadcast on this network, what was your view of that settlement? And what do you think it says about the state of media here in the United States?

Ambassador: Well, when I took on this position as ambassador for Australia to the United States, I relinquished my position as chair of Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission. That position has now been taken by Malcolm Turnbull, together with Sharan Burrow, so I suggest you put those questions to them. As a humble public servant, what I'd say is that the American judicial processes have found their own natural conclusion.

Journalist: You mentioned before your meetings on Capitol Hill, getting to know people in Congress, things like that. Have you had a chance yet? Or how do you plan to approach building a relationship with Donald Trump ahead of next year's election? And do you feel as though your previous criticisms of him could prove to be a roadblock in any way to building a relationship there? On the Republican side?

Ambassador: Well, the bottom line is I've been in this town on and off for the last 30 years. I have bucketloads of Republican friends and bucketloads of Democratic friends, working in foreign policy, national security policy, the economy. So I'm pretty confident how those relationships have not only continued but have been sustained and strengthened. The American political process will resolve its own course in the future and we'll see where it lands.

Journalist: You mentioned the trip by President Biden to Australia in coming months. What can you tell us Ambassador? When might he be there, and where will he be?

Ambassador: Well, I think both the government here in the US, and the government in Canberra will make announcements about this soon. But they haven't quite resolved all the details, and I'd much rather than leave it to formal statements in both capitals. But when the President comes, he'll be a welcome guest in our country. It's not often we have a President of the United States in Australia. We've had some visits. And he'll be an extraordinarily welcome visitor to Australia.

Journalist: Just following on from Tom's question, one of the jobs you're going to have is being the contact for Australia and making connections with all the potential candidates. Who are the candidates you're going to be keeping an eye on and what will you be talking to them about.

Ambassador: The job of any ambassador at presidential elections for a long period of time has been to work with all sides, and some of the folks who are reported to become candidates, I've actually, in my previous job as President of the Asia Society already had engagements with. So the bottom line is let the American democratic process and all of its marvels unfold in the year or so ahead. In the tradition of all previous Australian ambassadors, we work with all sides. And the cool thing about the relationship between the US and Australia is it has survived, flourished, prospered under dozens, almost, of American presidents, Republican and Democrat, and almost dozens Australian prime ministers, including yours truly. Thanks very much.