Kevin Rudd will step down as Australian ambassador to the US at the end of March, Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday.

The former prime minister and foreign affairs minister will leave the role a year early, on 31 March, after being appointed global president of the Asia Society thinktank. Rudd will also head the society’s Center for China Analysis.

Appointed as Australia’s envoy to Washington in December 2022, Rudd will depart after locking in ongoing support for the Aukus nuclear submarine agreement from the US president, Donald Trump, helping negotiate the release of the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, and securing agreements on critical minerals and AI.

A controversial figure within Labor due to lingering enmity from his leadership battles with rival Julia Gillard, Rudd’s appointment has not been without controversy.

His social media commentary about Trump proved a diplomatic sticking point with the White House. In 2020, he called Trump “the most destructive president in history”, leading to an awkward moment during Albanese’s first face-to-face meeting with Trump in October.

Albanese said the decision had been Rudd’s alone, praising his contribution to ties between Canberra and Washington under Trump and his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.

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Before serving as ambassador, Rudd was president and chief executive of the Asia Society from 2021 to 2023. He is a recognised expert on Chinese-American relations and the Chinese president, Xi Jinping.

“I have seen first-hand how hard he works, not just in the last few years but throughout his public life,” Albanese said. “He’s always brought an extraordinary level of energy and discipline to public service.

“He applied his relentless effort, his experience, intellect and determination to advance Australia’s interests in Washington, and Kevin Rudd has served the nation well.”

The government is expected to announce a new ambassador in coming weeks. Former Labor ministers including Joel Fitzgibbon and Stephen Conroy and former Western Australian premier Mark McGowan are among possible candidates.

Trump is yet to name his own envoy to Canberra, nearly a year into his second term.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, praised Rudd and his wife, the businesswoman Thérèse Rein, saying their work in Washington had helped strengthen the Australian economy and security.

“Kevin has helped unlock billions of dollars in new investment and collaboration, including AI datacentres and quantum in sectors that will strengthen the Australian economy and our security for decades to come.

“He’s put Australia’s superannuation industry up with the United States, turbocharging our engagement and investment and strengthening our credentials as a financial services centre of the Indo-Pacific.”

Labor was criticised for not adequately preparing for the possibility of Trump winning the November 2024 presidential election, but Albanese pointed out Rudd that had maintained close ties with leaders of both major American political parties and had personally predicted Trump’s victory over Democrat Kamala Harris.

Albanese sidestepped a question about whether he might appoint former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison as ambassador.

“The relationship that Kevin has had with members of the Trump administration … whoever follows Kevin, if it’s as good as that, I’ll be pretty happy.

“We’ll make decisions down the track about the right person with the right skills, and the right skills to be able to reach across a broad spectrum of support. That was something that Kevin Rudd was able to do.”

In a statement posted to social media on Tuesday morning, Rudd thanked Albanese and Wong, describing his appointment to Washington as “an honour.”

“I will be remaining in America working between New York and Washington on the future of US-China relations, which I have always believed to be the core question for the future stability of our region and the world.

“As a ‘think and do’ tank, Asia Society’s formidable Center for China Analysis will be an important platform to that end.”

Influential US congressman Joe Courtney, the co-chair of the cross party Friends of Australia Caucus in Washington, called Rudd “a force of nature”.

The Connecticut Democrat, the co-chair of the cross-party Friends of Australia Caucus, wished Rudd the best.

“His input raised the stature of debate and deliberations above a highly polarised Congress and, in the years to come, this achievement will stand out as one of the keystones of the US-Australia alliance.”

The shadow foreign affairs minister, Michaelia Cash, called on the government to name a replacement as soon as possible.

“The prime minister must now ensure Australia’s next ambassador is someone who can build, not complicate, that relationship and strengthen our standing with our most important ally.”