The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education.
The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and references to “unilateralism” and other coded criticism are also relatively scarce. Rather, the communique keeps the focus on the BRICS’ vision of the strengthening and reform of the global multilateral system ...
Category: Personnel
New Chinese Ambassadors Arrive in Key Posts Amid Major Personnel Changes
Xu Feihong, the newly-named Chinese envoy to India, arrived in New Delhi on Friday, where he will take up a post that's been empty for almost a year and a half. It may take some time before Xu formally assumes his ...
South Africa’s Ruling Elite Bid Farewell to China’s Ambassador
Chinese Ambassador Chen Xiaodong is leaving South Africa after the end of his term of nearly four years in a routine change of the guard. Chen’s tenure was largely unremarkable, especially in light of his predecessor, Lin Songtian, who maintained a ...
Hints Emerge China Will Not Replace Wang Yi as Foreign Minister
It does not appear that China plans to replace its foreign minister, Wang Yi, as was widely speculated in the run-up to the annual legislative gathering known as the Two Sessions that started on Monday. Normally, when ministerial appointments are to be ...
The Man Who Would Be China’s Next Foreign Minister
Speculation is circling that Liu Jianchao might be China’s next foreign minister. Some expect he could be officially named in the position as early as this week during the National People’s Congress legislative session. Liu’s appointment would likely not herald radical changes ...
Beijing’s New Ambassador to Angola Arrives at a Critical Juncture in Africa-China Relations
By Lukas Fiala The arrival of China’s new ambassador, Zhang Bin, to Angola last week was barely noticed outside the niche community watching Chinese diplomacy. While this posting is reportedly Zhang’s first ambassadorial appointment, it is not his first in Angola. ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Meet the Chinese VP Who is Fast Becoming a Major Player in Beijing’s Diplomacy
The role of a Chinese vice president, like their U.S. counterpart, has largely been ceremonial, particularly in the diplomatic sphere where the Director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission and the Foreign Minister (now a combined role) have traditionally been the most prominent envoys. ...
Biden Picks Asia Hand Kurt Campbell as Deputy Secretary of State
President Biden has nominated top Asia strategist Kurt Campbell as Deputy Secretary of State. The choice of Campbell as Secretary of State Antony Blinken's second-in-command signals continued attention to China despite the U.S.'s growing focus on conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.
Cambodia’s New PM to Visit China
Cambodia’s new Prime Minister, Hun Manet, will visit China for two days from Thursday, one of his first official overseas visits since taking over from his father, Hun Sen. He will meet with China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Six ...
New Prominence for Premier Li Qiang as Xi Skips Summits
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is gaining unexpected prominence thanks to the fact that he is standing in for President Xi Jinping at this week’s ASEAN and G20 summits, where he'll represent the PRC in the same room as people like U.S. President Joe Biden.
Xi Mysteriously Failed to Show Up at a BRICS Event, Sparking Wild Speculation Over What Happened
The opening day of the BRICS summit in South Africa began as expected on Tuesday with a flurry of high-profile arrivals in Johannesburg followed by a bilateral meeting between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The two ...
Analyst Handicaps Who’s in Contention to Become China’s Next Foreign Minister
The "House of Cards"-style drama that's unfolded in the Chinese Foreign Ministry over the past month is prompting intense speculation from China watchers in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere over who will ultimately become foreign minister following Qin Gang's unexpected exit last week.
Decoding Qin Gang’s Demotion: “He’s Either Dying or Under Discipline”
One month after Qin Gang made his last public appearance as foreign minister, China's top legislative body removed him from the post on Tuesday and re-appointed the country's most senior foreign policy official Wang Yi to the position. Despite rampant speculation over ...