Qin Gang, China's 'wolf warrior' diplomat and currently the country's ambassador to the United States, has been appointed as the new Chinese foreign minister, reports Global Tmes.
Qin replaces Wang Yi, who has been foreign minister for the past decade, according to a decision made by the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Friday. He will return to Beijing from Washington after 17 months as China's 11th ambassador to the United States. The posting has happened at a time when the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to visit China in early 2023.
Wang, 69, was promoted to the politburo of the Chinese Communist Party in October and is expected to play a bigger role in foreign policy.
Qin, who he led the Protocol Department served as Xi's chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018, rose through various positions including as the ministry's spokesman and postings at the Chinese embassy in Britain. While being in Washingtom, he has been active on the social media with more than a quarter-million followers on Twitter.
In a message, the newly appointed foreign minister said that China's diplomacy upholds the purposes of supporting national rejuvenation, promoting progress of mankind and holding the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win.
