John Garnaut, Phillip Coorey
September 8, 2011
On the way back ... Kevin Rudd will welcome a number of foreign ministers and leaders from the world of business to the Gold Coast next February. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
AS JULIA GILLARD flounders in the mire of domestic politics, her predecessor Kevin Rudd is on the mend and planning his next global platform - a top-level world talkfest on China.
The Foreign Affairs Minister's invitation list for the event on the Gold Coast in February includes leaders of foreign-minister level or higher and scholars and business leaders from Asia, North America and beyond.
Planning for the dialogue comes at a time of intense global interest in China but equally intense domestic speculation about Mr Rudd's leadership ambitions.
Some Chinese officials have expressed surprise that a "world China summit" was being planned without China's close involvement.
"The biggest surprise was Kevin Rudd telling Zhang [China's most senior foreign ministry official, Zhang Zhijun] that the summit would involve political subjects like next year's leadership transition," said a Chinese source. ''I think Australians might also be surprised if China held a summit about Australia without Australia's involvement - and wanted to talk about a change of government."
Mr Rudd plans to travel overseas next week, which could give Ms Gillard some respite from the leadership chatter in the Labor Party. Mr Rudd, who has been laid up for six weeks after heart surgery, is scheduled to attend the AusMin talks in San Francisco.
Although the factional bosses are standing beside Ms Gillard and there is no general push for an imminent change of leader, suspicion is rife within the ALP about the motives of others.
Sources said yesterday that Rudd supporters were ringing around to sound out views.
The consensus in Labor is that even if there were to be a change, Ms Gillard should be given more time and allowed to oversee the passage of key legislation, such as the carbon and mining taxes.
Mr Rudd's China dialogue expands on a concept he floated when Queensland was recovering from the devastating floods. ''Other countries have embarked on similar such signature dialogues each year, and they become, over time, part of the global policy calendar. So why not Queensland?" he wrote in The Courier-Mail on March 10.
