Wikileaks cable reveals Kevin Rudd's plan for 'paranoid' China + Pakistan

[xdrive]

KEVIN Rudd made a secret offer to the United States to send Australian troops into Pakistan, according to confidential documents released by WikiLeaks.

The former Prime Minister also urged China to make a deal with the exiled Dalai Lama and described China as being "paranoid" about Taiwan and Tibet.

He also warned there might be the need to "deploy force" against China if attempts to integrate it into the international community failed.

The confidential US State Department cable was written after a 75-minute lunch between Mr Rudd and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in March last year when the then PM visited the White House.

It is the first document relating to Australia released among the thousands of secret cables obtained by WikiLeaks. It was posted on the website of London's Guardian newspaper.


The Gillard Government refused to comment on the content and is bracing itself for the expected release in January of more documents relating to Australia.

It is examining whether charges might be laid against the founder of WikiLeaks, Queensland-born Julian Assange.

Mr Assange was yesterday declared Australia's most-wanted man after Interpol issued a red notice - an international wanted persons alert - to question him about alleged Swedish sexual offences, which he denies.

WikiLeaks also suffered a blow with PayPal cutting its account to receive donations.

The leaked document says Mr Rudd and Mrs Clinton discussed that success in the war in Afghanistan "would be unravelled if Pakistan were to fall apart".

"Rudd indicated Australia was willing and able to help, especially in special operations and counter-insurgency areas, as soon as Pakistan was willing to accept help," it says.

On China, Mrs Clinton sought Mr Rudd's advice about the challenges posed by China's economic rise, asking him "how do you deal toughly with your banker?"

Mr Rudd described himself as "a brutal realist on China" and argued strongly for the need to integrate China into the international community and allow it to demonstrate greater responsibility "all while also preparing to deploy force if everything goes wrong".

He told Mrs Clinton Australia was building up its navy in response to China's growing ability to project force.

"Rudd said the Australian intelligence community keeps a close watch on China's military modernisation."

Mr Rudd, now Foreign Affairs Minister, was quoted as saying China's reactions on Taiwan "were sub-rational and deeply emotional" while on Tibet its hard-line policies "were crafted to send clear messages to other ethnic minorities".

The document says he urged China to make a deal with the Dalai Lama. "Rudd indicated he had suggested to Chinese leaders that they consider a 'small 'a' autonomy deal with the Dalai Lama'."

The document contains Mr Rudd's review of China's President Hu Jintao and the man he replaced, Jiang Zemin. "Rudd assessed that Hu Jintao "is no Jiang Zemin",".

Wikileaks cable reveals Kevin Rudd's plan for 'paranoid' China | Herald Sun

 

[The Clarifier]

Interesting news...

Pakistan didn't assert an opinion... Australia asked USA if they could send troops into our country.

Also... it seems the west is after china, as usual :wink:

 

[xdrive]

No, Australia offered to send troops into Pakistan IF the insurgents took over Pakistan, not before.

 

[IceCold]

No, Australia offered to send troops into Pakistan IF the insurgents took over Pakistan, not before.

It appears that Mr Rudd is living on mars all this while while claiming to be on earth. Since there isnt a chance even remotely for the militants to take over Pakistan, unless of course the whole of PA suddenly disappears.

 

[JonAsad]

No, Australia offered to send troops into Pakistan IF the insurgents took over Pakistan, not before.

Thats plain stupidity mate, how ill informed you former prime minister is.. if its some common ill informed Oz then its alright, but coming from former PM

 

[Nan Yang]

Wikileaks cable reveals Kevin Rudd's plan for 'paranoid' China | Herald Sun

China is already integrated at ALL levels with almost all countries in the world.

"integrate it into the international community"

Translated

"Submissive to the European world"

 

[prototype]

And what does Rudd mans by integration,they r the biggest trade partners of many nation's,military equipment supplier's of many nation's and the best of all hold many important and powerful seats just like UNSC and NSG,need more integration?,or actually he means disintegration

 

[below_freezing]

Rest assured Mr. Rudd, australia's proximity to china and rich resources make it a very interesting target, so why draw fire to yourself? His chinese studies have been motivated by a deep and pathological hatred for China.

 

[rubyjackass]

sensationalist article.

 

[Developereo]

Pakistan didn't assert an opinion... Australia asked USA if they could send troops into our country.

No, only if Islamabad agreed to it.

WikiLeaks | Kevin Rudd to Hillary Clinton: use force against China

Kevin Rudd warned Hillary Clinton to be prepared to use force against China ''if everything goes wrong'', an explosive WikiLeaks cable has revealed.

Mr Rudd also told Mrs Clinton during a meeting in Washington on March 24 last year that China was ''paranoid'' about Taiwan and Tibet and that his ambitious plan for an Asia-Pacific community was intended to blunt Chinese influence.

It also reveals Mr Rudd offered Australian special forces to fight inside Pakistan once an agreement could be struck with Islamabad.

The cable details a 75-minute lunch Mr Rudd held as prime minister with Mrs Clinton soon after she was appointed US Secretary of State.

Signed ''Clinton'' and classified ''confidential'', it is the first of the WikiLeaks cables that includes a substantive report on Australia.

The unprecedented disclosure of such a frank exchange between political leaders is bound to complicate Australia's ties in the region, especially with Beijing.

At the lunch Mrs Clinton confided to Mr Rudd America's fears about China's rapid rise and Beijing's multibillion-dollar store of US debt. She asked: ''How do you deal toughly with your banker?''

In a wide-ranging conversation Mr Rudd:

Described himself as ''a brutal realist on China'' and said Australian intelligence agencies closely watched its military expansion.

Said the goal must be to integrate China into the international community, ''while also preparing to deploy force if everything goes wrong''.

Characterised Chinese leaders as ''sub-rational and deeply emotional'' about Taiwan.

Said the planned build-up of Australia's navy was ''a response to China's growing ability to project force''.

Sought Mrs Clinton's advice on dealing with the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, and Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, whom she labelled the ''behind-the-scenes puppeteer''.

Mr Rudd agreed any success in Afghanistan would unravel if Pakistan fell apart - and that Islamabad must be turned away from its ''obsessive focus'' on India. He also discussed ways to bring China to the table in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The disclosures in the cable, posted online by the British newspaper The Guardian, will complicate Mr Rudd's already testy personal links with China after his reported reference to Chinese negotiators as ''rat f---ers'' during the Copenhagen climate change conference.

Mr Rudd gave Mrs Clinton a candid assessment of the Chinese leadership, drawing a disparaging contrast between the President, Hu Jintao, with his predecessor, saying Mr Hu ''is no Jiang Zemin''.

Mr Rudd said no one person dominated China's opaque leadership circle but the Vice-President, Xi Jinping, might use family ties to the military to rise to the top.

Mr Rudd said he had urged China to strike a deal with the Dalai Lama for autonomy in Tibet and while he saw little prospect of success, he asked Mrs Clinton to have ''a quiet conversation'' to push the idea with Beijing's leaders.

On his plan for an ''Asia-Pacific community'', Mr Rudd said the goal was to curb China's dominance. He wanted to ensure this did not result in ''an Asia without the United States''.

Mrs Clinton has since publicly praised Mr Rudd for his advice on China and credited him for the US decision this year to join the East Asia Summit.

Mr Rudd is in the Middle East and a spokeswoman said he did not have any comment on the release of the cable.

The Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, declined to answer questions on any damage to Australia's ties with China or the role of Australian special forces in Pakistan arising from the revelations in the cable.

In a statement issued by a spokesman he said: ''The government has made it clear it has no intention to provide commentary on the content of US classified documents.''

In the cable, Mr Rudd appears eager to impress on Mrs Clinton his knowledge of international affairs, promising to send her copies of his speech in April 2008 at Peking University and a draft journal article on his Asia-Pacific community plan.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The thoughts of chairman Rudd

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Kevin Rudd’s China strategy
‘‘Multilateral engagement with bilateral vigour’’ — while also preparing to deploy force if everything goes wrong.

Rudd on China’s military modernisation
Australian intelligence keeping a close watch, and Australia responding with increased naval capability.

On the Chinese leadership
President Hu Jintao ‘‘is no Jiang Zemin’’. No one person dominated, although Hu’s likely replacement Xi Jinping could rise above his colleagues.

On China’s attitude to Taiwan and Tibet
Chinese leaders paranoid about both. Reaction to Taiwan sub-rational and deeply emotional. Hardline Tibet policies crafted to send message to other ethnic minorities

 

[Developereo]

Keep in mind that Kevin Rudd, and the Labor party in general, are much more pro-China than the Liberals.

This leak will damage the Labor party within Australia more than anything else, since the Australian public at large doesn't want to get involved in a US-China confrontation.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Keep in mind that Kevin Rudd, and the Labor party in general, are much more pro-China than the Liberals.

Yeah, that is why it is so strange that Kevin Rudd called our diplomats "rat f*ckers".

He majored in Chinese studies at University, and he even learned to speak Mandarin. So I don't know how he ended up with such hostile views on China.

 

[Developereo]

Yeah, that is why it is so strange that Kevin Rudd called our diplomats "rat f*ckers".

He majored in Chinese studies at University, and he even learned to speak Mandarin. So I don't know how he ended up with such hostile views on China.

That's the only part that puzzles me. Perhaps it was born of frustration because of China's stance on climate change.

As for the rest, I wouldn't read too much into it. He was probably being a diplomat and saying what Hillary wanted to hear.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

That's the only part that puzzles me. Perhaps it was born of frustration because of China's stance on climate change.

As for the rest, I wouldn't read too much into it. He was probably being a diplomat and saying what Hillary wanted to hear.

Fair enough.

You live in Australia right, do you know how the new Prime minister "Julia Gillard" feels about China and Pakistan? Or has she not spoken about such matters...

 

[Developereo]

Fair enough.

You live in Australia right, do you know how the new Prime minister Julia Gillard feels about China and Pakistan? Or has she not spoken about such matters...

Don't know. She didn't make a big show like Rudd, speaking in Mandarin and all.

I suspect she will follow the standard Australian pragmatic policy. Maintain an Asia-Pacific focus, while being firmly in the Western camp.

To be honest, she seems to be mostly clueless about everything. She only won because the other guy was such a clown. She actually suggested that Australia's climate change policy should be decided by a panel of 100 ordinary citizens chosen at random.