AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ended his first world tour basking in praise from political analysts for managing to chide China over Tibet without endangering lucrative trade ties. Rudd returned to Canberra Sunday after an 18-day trip taking in China, the United States and Europe which has been described as a “global victory lap” following the center-left leader's landslide election win last November. It was a chance for Rudd, who was widely regarded as a nerdish foreign policy buff before he became Labor Party leader in late 2006, to display the skills he honed as a diplomat in Beijing and Stockholm early in his career. He forged a warm relationship with US President George W. Bush on the trip despite their ideological differences and opposing views on Iraq, with the US leader describing him as a “straightforward fellow.” Rudd also set aside his republican beliefs to take tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. But by far the thorniest issue confronting Rudd, an avowed Sinophile, was how to deal with China's crackdown on protesters in Tibet when he visited Beijing on the last leg of his trip. He surprised many by tackling the issue head-on in a speech delivered in flawless Mandarin at Beijing University last Wednesday, telling his audience “there are significant human rights problems in Tibet.” “The current situation in Tibet is of concern to Australians. We recognize the need for all parties to avoid violence and find a solution through dialogue,” he said. He then followed up by urging Premier Wen Jiabao to open discussions with the Dalai Lama at a meeting the next day, a proposal vehemently opposed by the Chinese, who see the Tibetan spiritual leader as a troublesome separatist. Allan Gyngell, executive director of Sydney-based foreign policy think-tank the Lowy Institute, said it was seen as a risky move by some - particularly as China overtook Japan as Australia's largest trading partner last year. Gyngell, however, said it was a calculated strategy from Rudd, whose intimate knowledge of China allowed him to gauge how far he could push the Tibet issue in Beijing without seriously offending local sensibilities. “It went as well as could be expected,” Gyngell said. “He gave a forthright assessment of the West's view on Tibet to the next generation of Chinese leaders at Beijing University. “He also sent a message to China that its relationship with Australia is not all about trade, that there will be areas on which the two countries will have to agree to disagree. “It deepened the relationship in many ways and showed that it is multi-faceted.” Australian National University professor of Chinese history Geremie Barme agreed, saying Rudd had pressed home the message that a true friend pointed out faults, rather than staying silent when something was wrong. “In doing so, he rewrote the rules of engagement in a way that can only benefit Australia and our relationship with this important country,” Barme said. While Rudd's remarks on Tibet were largely ignored by China's state-controlled media, the rest of his speech was enthusiastically reported on front pages across the country, indicating Beijing had not taken deep offence. His decision to speak out on Tibet while in China was applauded by the British press, with the Guardian saying British Prime Minister Gordon Brown should take note in an article headlined “Watch and learn, Mr. Brown: nerds can be winners, too.” An editorial in the Independent took a similar line. “With his plain speaking, his firm principles as a politician and - a bit of a luxury, this - his fluent Mandarin, Mr. Rudd has not only met our expectations, but inspired not a little envy as well,” it said. The praise prompted Sydney Morning Herald political columnist Annabel Crabb, who has previously suggested the prime minister is a “sophisticated humanoid Ruddbot”, to joke that Australia, where Rudd enjoys a 73 percent approval rating, had “created a monster.” “Before we sent our Ruddbot out into the world, he was our nerd. Now, after two weeks of exposure, he's everyone's favorite nerd,” she wrote. __
