Dr 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 (1998-2001), Ambassador to APEC (2003-06), and Deputy Secretary, 2003-07. He was also head of the Trade Policy Issues Division of the OECD, Paris, 1993-95.
On leaving government service in August 2011, he established Geoff Raby and Associates, a Beijing-based corporate advisory specialising in strategic analysis with respect to China. He also served as an independent non-executive director with ASX-listed Fortescue Metals, OceanaGold as chair of the Health, Safety, and Community sub-committee, Yancoal also as chair of the Health, Safety, Environment and Community Committee sub-committee, Isentia, and as the Board Chair of Smarttrans.
His not-profit roles have included Chair of VisAsia at the NSW Gallery and as a member of the board of the Foundations at the Gavan Institute and National Gallery of Victoria. He is currently Chair of the Australia-China Arts Residency charity.
His most recent book, Great Game On: the contest for central Asia and global supremacy, was published by Melbourne University Press on 12 November 2024 and is now in its second print run. His previous book was China’s Grand Strategy and Australia’s Future in the World Order (MUP Nov 2020) and was reprinted five times; the second edition was released in May 2025. He regularly contributes op eds and travel writing to the Australian Financial Review. He holds a PhD in economics. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Federation University and also by La Trobe University.
He was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) in June 2019 for services to Australia-China bilateral relations and to multilateral trade. He was awarded Chile’s Order of Bernand O’Higgins, the highest non-military award for foreigners, for services to international trade, especially agricultural trade in 2002.
