Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was elevated to the top diplomatic position of State Councillor on Monday which could make him the new Special Representative for India-China boundary talks, according to officials.
Mr. Wang, 65, would also continue to head the Foreign Ministry, becoming the first Chinese official to hold the dual post in recent years.
His name for the post of State Councillor and Foreign was endorsed by the parliament - the National People’s Congress (NPC), state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang proposed Mr. Wang’s name as part of a new set of officials to head various positions for the next five years in the government headed by President Xi Jinping.
In Chinese power hierarchy, State Councillor is ranked higher than Foreign Minister and considered as the top diplomat of the country. The State Councillor is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the policies of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).
Mr. Wang succeeds Yang Jiechi, 67, who was elevated to become member of the politburo, a high ranking body of the CPC headed by Mr. Xi, last year.
By virtue of being the State Councillor, Mr. Wang is also expected to succeed Mr. Yang as China’s Special Representative for India-China boundary talks, though officials say the Chinese government’s position will become clear only after an official notification.
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is India’s Special Representative.
Under this mechanism, the two countries have so far held 20 rounds of talks with limited success.
While outlining Beijing’s foreign policy perspectives earlier this month, Mr. Wang had called on both the countries to shed “confrontationist stance” on issues of differences.
“The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other,” he had said, adding “if China and India are united, one plus one is not equal to two but eleven”.
A suave and articulate carrier diplomat, Mr. Wang served as China’s Vice-Foreign Minister, China’s Ambassador to Japan and Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office.
A fluent speaker of English and Japanese, he took over as Foreign Minister in 2013.
Chinese Foreign Ministry officials say under his stewardship, the Foreign Ministry has acquired higher profile unlike in the past when it worked under the shadows of the CPC and the military.
He along with Mr. Yang were expected to play a bigger role in strengthening China’s influence in the neighbourhood and beyond under the leadership of Mr. Xi who is now set for a longer tenure, perhaps for life as China’s leader heading the CPC, the military and the presidency following the removal of the two-term limit for the president.
