Chinese overseas ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, who won prominence as certainly considered one among China’s maximum outspoken “wolf warrior” diplomats, has been transferred to its branch that manages land and sea borders, in line with the ministry’s internet site. Zhao, 50, is now deputy head of the ministry’s Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, the internet site confirmed on Monday.
Zhao have become a ministry spokesperson in 2020 after stints in China’s embassy in Pakistan, wherein he constructed a massive following on Twitter in addition to on Chinese social media for his common and frequently combative posts, many focused on the United States.
His hawkish fashion made him the maximum distinguished practitioner of what extensively have become regarded as “wolf warrior” diplomacy – named after a famous Chinese film franchise – which marked a departure from the restraint that had lengthy characterized Beijing’s engagement with the world.
In a debatable Twitter submit in March 2020, Zhao wrote that the U.S. navy may have introduced the coronavirus to the Chinese town of Wuhan.
Zhao, who frequently hosted the ministry’s each day media briefing, has 1.nine million Twitter followers.
Zhao and the ministry did now no longer without delay reply to a request for touch upon his alternate in role.
Late remaining month, China promoted Qin Gang, its ambassador to Washington and a depended on aide of President Xi Jinping, to be its new overseas minister, as Beijing and Washington are looking for to stabilise rocky relations.