Kevin Rudd’s honours' thesis – Human Rights in China: The Case of Wei Jingsheng - was a sophisticated analysis of the issues of Chinese cultural heritage, communist ideology and the dissident movement in China in the 1970's. It began his life-long relationship with China, leading to his unique understanding of Chinese culture. He is the only fluent Mandarin-speaking leader in the world, and as such, enjoys a special relationship with Chinese leaders.

In digging up Rudd's thesis, it clearly shows his interest and grasp of chinese culture and politics, and leads one to wonder what we might learn about the early interests of Barack Obama, if we were to dig out his old dissertations.   

Rudd's thesis was described as "a mixture of idealism and realism"; "a compelling" 300 page dissertation on human rights in China, and Wei’s role in the short-lived democracy movement that emerged in Beijing in 1978.

Rudd begins by noting that a translation of international law into Mandarin in 1864 found that there was no classical Chinese word for rights. The concept of the inalienable rights of the individual, as espoused by classical Western liberalism was in total opposition to the two thousand-year Confucian tradition in China, which emphasized the individual’s responsibility to society and the interests of the collective.

The final section of Rudd’s thesis translates the transcript of Wei’s trial, without commentary or analysis – none is needed. The prosecution's accusation: "defendant Wei Jingsheng served as a willing running dog for the Vietnamese." "He is the unadulterated scum of the nation. His crimes are against the people."

Wei pointed out, in response to a charge of passing secrets to a foreign journalist, that the official guidelines to citizens on safeguarding secrets are themselves secret. To the criminal charge of counter-revolutionary activity, Wei claimed that the revolutionary tide of the time was democracy, so that "after many years under the influence of the cultural despotism and obscurantism of the Gang of Four", it is they who are guilty of being counter-revolutionary. Rudd closes his account by pointing out that Wei was clearly aware of the consequences of such rebellion. As had Sophie Stoll risked her freedom, and even her life, for the cause of freedom from Nazi dictatorship in wartime Germany, Wei stood his ground in a dignified and spirited defence.

Rudd writes: "One cannot but be moved by the courage with which Wei defied a system that ultimately brooks no dissent." Wei went on to continue writing defiant letters from prison to the Chinese leaders, enduring harsh treatment for years, before eventually being deported to the US in 1997.