Geoff Raby

Geoff Raby was Australia’s Ambassador to China from 2007-11, during which he visited all provinces in China officially. He served in Beijing as First Secretary (Economic) and then Counsellor (Economic), 1986-91. He was Ambassador to the WTO in Geneva, Ambassador to APEC, and Deputy Secretary, 2003-07. He is a non-executive independent director of ASX listed-companies Yancoal and sits on the Board of the Gavan Foundaton. His most recent book is China’s Grand Strategy and Australia’s Future in the World Order (MUP, 2020). He contributes op-eds and travel writing to the Australian Financial Review. He holds a PhD in economics. He was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) in 2019 for services to Australia-China bilateral relations and to multilateral trade.

Geoff Raby reviews ‘The Political Thought of Xi Jinping’ by Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

May 2024, no. 464 • 22 April 2024

Two of the defining figures of our age are China’s President Xi Jinping and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Both are authoritarian rulers intent on reshaping the global Western-led order. They despise and mistrust the United States equally, and, to justify their hold on power, promote a nationalist and civilisationist vision that elevates the long historical and cultural roots of their soci ... (read more)