On July 26, the Hon. Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and President and CEO of the Asia Society, received a very warm welcome in Seattle at a book talk event for his new book “The Avoidable War: the Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict between the US and Xi Jinping’s China.” This event was co-sponsored by the Washington State China Relations Council, the China Studies Program and the East Asia Center at the University of Washington, and the World Affairs Council of Seattle.
After briefly reviewing the history and the current status of the U.S.-China relationship, the Hon. Rudd explained “ten concentric circles of interest,” which he believes critical to understanding Xi’s worldview and long-term strategy towards the U.S. Among the ten circles which were developed by PM Rudd as he prepared this book, the politics of staying in power, national unity, and ensuring economic prosperity are among Xi’s top priorities. To improve a relationship that has been damaged by mistrust and misperceptions, Mr. Rudd suggested a “managed strategic competition” framework to prevent further attrition of the relationship and a possible catastrophic war. Mr. Rudd also addressed issues related to China’s economic model, Taiwan, and how the two countries can work together to combat pandemics like Covid.
We’d like to thank Nelson Dong, Partner at Dorsey & Whitney and a board member of the WSCRC, for moderating the discussion and providing the event venue.