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Ex-envoy to U.S. appointed China's Foreign Minister

Pallavi Aiyar

Beijing: On Friday, China announced the appointment of a new Foreign Minister, replacing veteran diplomat Li Zhaoxing with a younger Yang Jiechi, who is a former ambassador to the United States. The move comes at a time when China has begun to pursue a newly active diplomacy, mending fences with neighbours and wooing countries that can supply it with the oil and commodities needed to keep its economy growing in double digits.

The new appointment was announced by Xinhua, the country's official news agency. No reason was given for the change aside from a reference to Mr. Li's age. At 66, Mr. Li is older than the norm for officials in China who usually retire at 65. A Cabinet reshuffle had been widely expected in the run-up to a once-every-five year Communist Party conclave that will be held later this year.

Mr. Yang is 57-years-old. Fluent in English, he is a Shanghai native with degrees from Bath University as well as the London School of Economics. Mr. Yang worked in China's embassy in Washington during the 1980s and 1990s and served as ambassador from 2001 to 2005.

Able diplomat

The Xinhua statement said Mr. Yang was known for his ability to "tread a fine line in both firmly defending China's national interests and maintaining smooth and stable ties with the United States." Shortly after becoming ambassador to the U.S., Mr. Yang had won kudos for his work in defusing tensions after a U.S. spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet in 2001.

During Mr. Li's tenure, Sino-Indian ties had experienced a marked momentum, with the exchange of several bilateral visits and growth of trade. Analysts do not expect the transition at the Foreign Ministry to herald any substantive change in the course of Sino-Indian ties.

Apart Mr. Yang's appointment, China also named new Ministers of Water Resources, Science and Technology, and Land Resources.

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