Canberra, Dec 20 (TIWN) Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been appointed the country's next ambassador to the US.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Rudd “one of the world’s most eminent and sought-after experts on China and US-China relations”, and said he would bring “unmatched experience” to the role at a time when the region was being reshaped by strategic competition. “Kevin Rudd is an outstanding appointment,” said Albanese at a news conference on Tuesday ahead of Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s state visit to China. “He brings a great deal of credit to Australia by agreeing to take up this position as a former prime minister, as a former foreign minister.”