Wang Yi | |
|---|---|
王毅 | |
_(cropped).jpg) Wang in 2025 | |
| Director of the Office of theCentral Foreign Affairs Commission | |
| Assumed office 1 January 2023 | |
| General Secretary | Xi Jinping |
| Foreign Minister | Qin Gang Himself |
| Preceded by | Yang Jiechi |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office 25 July 2023 | |
| Premier | Li Qiang |
| Party Secretary | Qi Yu |
| Preceded by | Qin Gang |
| In office 16 March 2013 – 30 December 2022 | |
| Premier | Li Keqiang |
| Party Secretary | Zhang Yesui Qi Yu |
| Preceded by | Yang Jiechi |
| Succeeded by | Qin Gang |
| State Councilor of China | |
| In office 19 March 2018 – 12 March 2023 | |
| Premier | Li Keqiang |
| 8th Director of theTaiwan Affairs Office | |
| In office 1 June 2008 – 16 March 2013 | |
| Premier | Wen Jiabao |
| Preceded by | Chen Yunlin |
| Succeeded by | Zhang Zhijun |
| Chinese Ambassador to Japan | |
| In office 26 September 2004 – 24 September 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Wu Dawei |
| Succeeded by | Cui Tiankai |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1953-10-19)19 October 1953 (age 71) Beijing, China |
| Political party | Chinese Communist Party (1981–present)[1] |
| Education | Beijing International Studies University (BLit) Nankai University (MEc) China Foreign Affairs University (PhD) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Diplomat |
| Signature | .svg) |
| Website | www.gov.cn/wangyi |
Wang Yi (Chinese:王毅;pinyin:Wáng Yì; born 19 October 1953) is a Chinese diplomat and politician who has been serving as Director of theChinese Communist Party (CCP)Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office since January 2023, and asMinister of Foreign Affairs of China since July 2023 (previously from 2013 to 2022).[2]
Wang is a member of the20th CCP Politburo. He previously served asState Councilor of China from 2018 to 2023, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China from 2013 to 2022, Director of the State CouncilTaiwan Affairs Office from 2008 to 2013, andChinese Ambassador to Japan from 2004 to 2007.
Wang was born inBeijing. After graduating from high school in September 1969, he was sent toNortheast China. He subsequently served in the Northeast Construction Army Corps inHeilongjiang Province for eight years.[3]
In December 1977, Wang returned to Beijing and in the same year was enrolled in the department of Asian and African Languages ofBeijing International Studies University. He studiedJapanese at the institution, graduating in February 1982 with a bachelor's degree. He is known to speak fluentEnglish and Japanese.[4]
Wang is married and has one daughter.[5] His wife, Qian Wei, is the daughter ofQian Jiadong [zh], a former diplomatic secretary toPremierZhou Enlai.[6]
Upon graduation from university, Wang was sent to the Asian section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by his father-in-law Qian Jiadong, where he began his career as a diplomat. In September 1989, he was sent to theChinese embassy in Japan and served there for five years.[3] When he returned to China in March 1994, Wang was appointed as vice section chief of the Asian section of the foreign ministry and was promoted to section chief the next year. From August 1997 to February 1998, Wang was a visiting scholar at the Institute of Foreign Relations ofGeorgetown University in theUnited States.[7][8] Soon after his return, he was promoted to assistant minister and the director of office of policy research. From September 1999, Wang studied international relations atChina Foreign Affairs University and obtained a doctoral degree. In February 2001, Wang was elevated to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of Asian affairs.
In September 2004, Wang was appointed as China's Ambassador to Japan. He served in this post until September 2007. In June 2008, Wang succeededChen Yunlin as the director ofTaiwan Affairs Office of theState Council of China.[9]
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On 16 March 2013, duringthe first session of the12th National People's Congress (NPC), Wang was appointedMinister of Foreign Affairs, succeedingYang Jiechi.[10]
China's foreign policy under Xi Jinping's has been described as increasingly assertive, even to the point of being dubbedWolf warrior diplomacy. In his inaugural press conference as Foreign Affairs Minister in March 2014, Wang characterized this new direction as "proactively striving for achievements to let the world hear of the Chinese solutions and Chinese voices."[11]: 85–86 In 2017, Wang's leader described the "Two Guidances", the principles that: (1) China should guide the global community in building a more just and reasonable world order, and (2) that China should guide the global community in safeguarding international security.[11]: 240 Following the "Two Guidances", Wang compared China as the "leading goat" in "guiding the reform of global governance."[11]: 240
In July 2016, Wang became an internet celebrity on the Chinese micro-blogSina Weibo. A fan club on Weibo devoted to Wang has more than 130,000 followers.[12]
In March 2018, Wang was promoted as aState Councilor by the NPC.[13]
Wang initiated a significant state visit to theMiddle East in December 2013 to visitIsrael andPalestine. He discussed with leaders of both countries the importance of the nuclear agreement withIran and the importance of the continued peace talks, saying "War does not solve the problems. Violence increases the hatred. The peace talks are the appropriate and the only path".[14]
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On the evening of 15 April 2018, Wang was received by his Japanese counterpartTaro Kono, on the first such official visit of a foreign minister of China to Japan since November 2009.[15]
During a joint news conference inOttawa on 1 June 2016, withCanadian Minister of Foreign AffairsStéphane Dion, Wang responded to Canadian reporter Amanda Connolly of online news siteiPolitics over a question she raised regardinghuman rights in China, saying "Your question is full of prejudice against China and arrogance ... I don't know where that comes from. This is totally unacceptable," and calling allegations of human rights violations in China "groundless accusations".[16][17][18]
In 2018, Wang said the world should ignore "gossip" aboutXinjiang internment camps.[19] In March 2021, Wang said that "We welcome more people to visit Xinjiang - seeing is believing. This is the best way to debunk rumours."[20] However, journalists from the British broadcasterBBC claim to have been followed by unmarked cars, chased out of restaurants and shops, and compelled to delete footage while trying to report from Xinjiang.[21]
During his first tenure as foreign minister, Wang helped facilitate the diplomatic recognition of the People's Republic of China byPanama in 2017, theDominican Republic andEl Salvador in 2018,[22] and theSolomon Islands in 2019,[23] with all four nations ceasing relations with theRepublic of China (Taiwan).[24][25]
In March 2021, Wang supported the decision to have only "patriots" rule Hong Kong, stating that "loving Hong Kong and loving the motherland are consistent requirements...in the past 24 years since Hong Kong's [handover], no one has cared more about the [SAR's] democracy, prosperity and stability than the central government."[20]
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It was reported that during Wang's visit toNorway in August 2020, he said that while China was the first country to report the existence of the virus to theWorld Health Organization, "it does not mean that the virus originated in China. Actually, for the past months, we have seen reports ... showing that the virus emerged in different parts of the world, and may have emerged earlier than in China".[26]
On 22 February 2021, Wang urged theadministration of US presidentJoe Biden to lift the sanctions on trade and people-to-people contact imposed by his predecessor,Donald Trump. At the Foreign Ministry forum onUS-China relations, he said that the US "must not interfere in the internal affairs of China".[27]
Wang criticized the speed and timing of thewithdrawal of the American-ledNATO forces fromAfghanistan and urged them to withdraw in a "responsible and orderly manner".[28]
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On 28 July 2022, Wang attended the meeting of foreign ministers of theShanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). He met with Russian foreign ministerSergey Lavrov, who praised the "traditional friendship"between Russia and China.[29] In October 2022, he reaffirmed support for Russia, saying that China will "firmly support Russia, under the leadership of President Putin … to further establish Russia's status as a major power on the international stage".[30] In December 2022, Wang defended China's position on theRusso-Ukrainian War and said that China would "deepen strategic mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation" with Russia".[31]
In October 2022, following the 1st Plenary Session of the20th CCP National Congress, Wang became a member of thePolitburo of the CCP, even though he surpassed the informal retirement age of 68, being at the age of 69 at the time. He was succeeded as foreign minister byQin Gang on 30 December 2022.[32] On 1 January 2023, Wang was appointed as the director of the Office of the CCPCentral Foreign Affairs Commission, making him China's top diplomat under CCP general secretaryXi Jinping.[33] In March 2023, he was succeeded by Qin Gang as State Councilor afterthe first session of the14th National People's Congress.[34]
On 25 July 2023, Wang was reinstated as foreign minister after Qin Gang's dismissal from the post after a month–long absence from public engagements.[35][36] Wang's reappointment as foreign minister made him the first person to hold the post twice.
In February 2023, Wang announced his peace initiative for theRussian invasion of Ukraine at the59th Munich Security Conference.[37] Wang chose to have hisChargé d'affairesDai Bing [zh] not present his peace plan at the 18th plenary meeting of theeleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly. He decided to have Dai mention his peace plan only by passing reference at the UN Security Council Briefing on Ukraine the next day, 24 February 2023.[38]
While the plan attracted support from Hungarian prime ministerViktor Orbán, NATO Secretary-GeneralJens Stoltenberg said that the plan "doesn't have much credibility because [the Chinese] have not been able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine."[39]
On 23 July 2024, the Ukrainian foreign ministerDmytro Kuleba visited China for talks ways to achieve a peaceful end to the war with Russia. This was the first such bilateral visit since 2012.[40][41]
On 3 July 2023, at the 2023 International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation inQingdao, Wang made remarks during a speech towards the participating Japanese and South Korean audience where he called forJapan and South Korea to work together with China to "prosper together, revitalizeEast Asia, revitalize Asia and benefit the world" and said that "mostAmericans and Europeans can't tellChina,Japan andSouth Korea apart" and that "no matter howblonde you dye your hair, how sharp you shape yournose, you can never become aEuropean orAmerican, you can never become aWesterner." before further adding they must know where their "roots lie."[42][43]
On 13 October 2023, during theGaza war,Israel'sMinistry of Foreign Affairs expressed "deep disappointment" over China's failure to condemn the Palestinian militant groupHamas.[44] In response, Wang Yi stated that inGaza, "Israel’s actions have gone beyond self-defense."[45]
On 16 October, Wang called for a ceasefire in Gaza, stating that "it is imperative that a ceasefire be put in place, that the two sides be brought back to the negotiating table, and that an emergency humanitarian channel be established to prevent a further humanitarian disaster."[46]
On 7 March 2025, at a press conference on the sidelines of theTwo Sessions of the14th National People's Congress, Wang stated "Chinese diplomacy will stand firm on the right side of history and the side of human progress" and "no maximum pressure, threat or blackmail can undermine the unity of the 1.4 billion people or stop our historic stride towards the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." When asked how China will engage with thesecond Trump administration, he stated "no country should fantasise that it can suppress China and maintain good relations with China at the same time."[47] At the same press conference, Wang stated thatTaiwan can only be referred to as "Taiwan, Province of China" and theUnited Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 settled the matter of China’s representation, including Taiwan, at the UN and entirely ruled out the prospect of “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan.” He stated that those who supportTaiwanese independence attempt to "interfere in China’s internal affairs, divide the country and disruptcross-strait stability." In response to Wang's comments on Taiwan, Taiwan'sMainland Affairs Council issued a statement stating that UNGA Resolution 2758 neither names Taiwan nor asserts that it is part of the People's Republic of China and did not authorize China to represent Taiwan and the Taiwanese in the UN system.Foreign Minister of TaiwanLin Chia-lung also responded that numerous countries, mainly Western democracies, have already established that UNGA Resolution 2758 primarily targets China’s participation at the UN and does not mention Taiwan.[48]
Hungary: Commander's Cross with Star of theHungarian Order of Merit (2021)[49]
Kyrgyzstan: Order of Danaker (2016)[50]
Mongolia:Order of the Polar Star (2004)[51]
Pakistan:Hilal-e-Pakistan (2015)[52]
Uruguay:Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, twice (2016 and 2018)[53][54]
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| Preceded by | Director of the Office of the CCPCentral Foreign Affairs Commission 2023–present | Incumbent |
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| Preceded by | Minister of Foreign Affairs 2013–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Foreign Affairs 2023–present | Incumbent |
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| Preceded by | Chinese Ambassador to Japan 2004–2007 | Succeeded by |
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.svg) .svg)   China's ambassadors to Japan | |
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 Qing dynasty1644–1912 |
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| Republic of China (Beiyang) 1912–1928 |
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 Republic of China (Nationalist)1928–1938 |
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 Republic of China (Collaborationist)1940–1945 | |
| Republic of China on Taiwan 1952–1972 |
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 People's Republic of China1973–present |
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Foreign ministers of theG20 | |
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Foreign ministers of theBRICS | |
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