US ‘throwing allies under a bus’, says Kevin Rudd

Kevin Rudd has urged the US to open its economy to Asia-Pacific nations to limit Chinese influence.

Kevin Rudd comments suggest he will lobby hard for the US to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade agreement between most Pacific Rim economies. Picture: AAP

Kevin Rudd has urged the US to stop throwing “allies under a bus” and open its economy to Asia-Pacific nations to limit Chinese influence.

The incoming ambassador to the US said the Biden administration was working with “one arm tied behind its back” in trying to ensure nations in the key strategic region did not become allies of China.

“What is the missing element in US grand strategy? It’s called the economy, stupid,” Mr Rudd told Bloomberg TV.

“And that is: you cannot continue to assume that there’ll be collective solidarity on security questions, but on the economy, the United States (is) happy to throw some of its allies under a bus.

“And for those reasons, the United States congress needs to embrace, instead, a different strategy, which opens its markets more to its allies in Asia and in Europe, despite the over-riding protection sentiment of the US congress and political class in general.”

Mr Rudd signalled he did not believe the strategic strategy of US President Joe Biden could succeed unless the world’s largest economy liberalised its trade policies.

“You cannot have a strategy which has one arm tied behind its back – namely, trade and the economy,” Mr Rudd said.

“You must, in fact, have both wings flying – otherwise this bird doesn’t take off.”

Mr Rudd’s comments suggest he will lobby hard for the US to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade agreement between most Pacific Rim economies.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham criticised Mr Rudd’s language.

“Encouraging the US to pursue deeper economic engagement in our region and with other allies is smart, strategic and consistent with recent Australian ambassadors to the US,” Senator Birmingham said.

“Opinionated lecturing of the US before you’ve even started your new ambassadorial role in the US is far less strategic.

“I doubt many will see Kevin Rudd’s tone as an encouraging start to a role that requires both deft handling and policy smarts.”

The Australian revealed during the election campaign that Mr Rudd was likely to be appointed ambassador to Washington if Labor was elected.

The story was denied by Anthony Albanese and Mr Rudd, only to be proved accurate when the appointment was announced days before Christmas.

Mr Rudd will start in the role in March.

In a speech last month, Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged the US to economically engage with the Indo-Pacific.

She said the decision of the US to rebuff the CPTPP was “still being felt in the region”.

“Plainly, there is a view in Washington that US allies must work together on principles of collective security,” Senator Wong said last month.

“But we have reached a stage in the evolution of our alliances where they will increasingly require a fully developed economic dimension as well.”