Book launch – ‘Australia’s China Odyssey’
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The Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS:ACRI) hosted the launch of Australia’s China Odyssey (NewSouth, August 2022) by Professor James Curran, historian and Australian Financial Review columnist.
Mr Dennis Richardson AC, former Secretary of the Department of Defence, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and Ambassador of Australia to the United States, launched the book.
Australia’s China Odyssey is available for purchase in paperback and e-book versions.
Further reading
- James Curran, 'Why turning away from China is not a serious option', The Australian Financial Review, July 29 2022.
- James Curran, 'On China, do we have the courage to look in the mirror?', The Australian, August 6 2022.
- James Curran interviewed by Geraldine Doogue, 'Australia's China Odyssey', ABC Radio National, August 6 2022
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Speakers
Professor James Curran
James Curran is Professor of Modern History at Sydney University, where he specialises in Australian and American political and foreign relations history. A former analyst with the Office of National Assessments, he was also a Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University in Washington DC and later the Chair of Australian History at University College Dublin. James has authored a number of books, including The Power of Speech: Australian prime ministers defining the national image, Curtin’s Empire, The Unknown Nation: Australia after empire (with Stuart Ward), Unholy Fury: Whitlam and Nixon at war, Fighting with America; Why saying no to America wouldn’t rupture the US alliance and, most recently, David Campese: The last of the dream sellers . His poetry has been published in Meanjin and Quadrant, and his rugby writing in France’s twice weekly Midi-Olympique. He writes a fortnightly column on foreign affairs for the Australian Financial Review.
Mr Dennis Richardson
Dennis Richardson is one of Australia’s most distinguished public servants. Following two years as the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Richardson commenced as Secretary of the Department of Defence in 2012, a position he held until his retirement in 2017. He was Ambassador of Australia to the United States from 2005 to 2009 and was a career public servant since 1969, when he joined Australia's foreign service. From October 1996 until his appointment to Washington, DC, Mr Richardson served as Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. He was Principal Adviser to Prime Minister Bob Hawke from 1990 to 1991. In 2021-22 Mr Richardson also chaired the Comprehensive Review of the Legal Framework of the National Intelligence Community. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (with Honours in History) from the University of Sydney and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2003.
