Personnel Update|They have served as Director of the Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Recently, Mao Ning took over from Hua Chunying to serve as the Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), a position that has attracted much attention due to the multiple promotions of its directors.
Mao Ning is a female, Han Chinese, born in 1972 in Xiangtan, Hunan. She is a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), joined the workforce in August 1995, and now holds a postgraduate degree.
Mao Ning studied English at the Foreign Languages Department of Hunan Normal University and外交学 at the Department of Foreign Affairs, China Foreign Affairs University early in her career. She then began her career at the MFA Asia Department. She has served as the Director of the Office of Korean Peninsula Affairs, Deputy Secretary-General of the Secretariat for Trilateral Cooperation among China, Japan, and Korea, Ambassador to the United States, Deputy Division Chief of the Asia Department of MFA, and Political Ambassador to the Asia Department of MFA. In 2020, she was appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of Leshan Municipal Committee and deputy mayor of Sichuan Province on a part-time basis. In 2022, she became the Deputy Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy and the 33rd spokesperson for the MFA.
It is worth mentioning that Mao Ning is the third female director of the Department of Public Diplomacy after Gong Peng and Hua Chunying.
The first female director of the Department of Public Diplomacy was Gong Peng, who served from August 1949 to March 1958. From January 1959 to November 1963, she again served as the director of the Department of Public Diplomacy. From 1964 to 1970, Gong Peng served as the Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy.
Hua Chunying has served as Deputy Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy since 2012 and is China’s fifth female spokesperson for the MFA. She became Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy in July 2019. Later, she was appointed Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In May 2024, Hua Chunying was appointed as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, becoming the third female deputy foreign minister after Wang Hailong and Fu Ying.
Like Hua Chunying, many directors of the MFA’s Department of Public Diplomacy have risen to higher-level positions within the MFA and other government departments.
For example, Qian Qichen has served as both Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy and later as Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs. Qian Qichen has also served as China’s Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Ambassador to Guinea, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other positions since April 1972 until March 1988. From April 1988 onwards, Qian Qichen has served as Minister and Secretary-General of Foreign Affairs, Member of State Council and Secretary-General of Foreign Affairs with concurrent roles as Deputy Prime Minister in charge of foreign affairs, Hong Kong and Macao affairs, and tourism. Qian Qichen also served as part-time Vice Premier of State Council in charge of foreign affairs from March 1998 onwards. Qian Qichen is also a member of the CPC Central Committee and a member of political bureau at different sessions.
Li Zhaoxing has also served as Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy. After entering the foreign service system, Li Zhaoxing served as Deputy Director and then Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs in charge of United Nations affairs, Ambassador to Indonesia and other positions before becoming Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007.
Liu Jianchao who currently serves as Head of the United Front Department under CPC Central Committee has also served as Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy at MFA in his long career within foreign affairs system. He also served as Ambassador to Philippines and then went on to become Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs in charge of discipline inspection before moving into anti-corruption work within government system and then into provincial political work before being appointed Head of United Front Department under CPC Central Committee in recent years.
Ma Chaoxu who currently serves as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs in charge daily operational work within MFA after an illustrious career spanning over three decades within foreign affairs system including serving as Director for Press Relations Department has now been promoted to Deputy Minister level position with explicit responsibilities for daily operational work at MFA due to his past contribution to promotion and development within foreign affairs system including serving as Ambassador to United Nations in recent years before that appointment became explicit on January this year according to updated information on “Principal Officials” column at MFA website.(根据你提供的文章进行的翻译,请注意文中