Overview
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Rudd will conclude his posting on March 31, 2026, one year ahead of schedule.
- Rudd will become global president of the Asia Society and lead its Centre for China Analysis, saying he will work between New York and Washington on US–China relations.
- Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong praised his service and said the decision was his, while a White House official said he "worked well" with President Donald Trump.
- During roughly three years in Washington, he helped advance AUKUS enabling measures, secured a critical minerals and rare earths framework, and assisted in Julian Assange’s return to Australia.
- The move follows an October White House exchange in which Trump said he would not like Rudd, and the government said a successor will be announced later.