Wang Yi who born 19 October 1953 is a Chinese diplomat and politician who has been serving as Director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office since January 2023, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs of China since July 2023 (previously from 2013 to 2022).
Wang is a member of the 20th Politburo. He previously served as State Councilor of China from 2018 to 2023, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China from 2013 to 2022, Director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office from 2008 to 2013, and Chinese Ambassador to Japan from 2004 to 2007.
Wang Yi’s Early Life
Wang was born in Beijing. After graduating from high school in September 1969, he was sent to Northeast China. He subsequently served in the Northeast Construction Army Corps in Heilongjiang Province for eight years.
In December 1977, Wang returned to Beijing and in the same year was enrolled in the department of Asian and African Languages of Beijing International Studies University. He studied Japanese at the institution, graduating in February 1982 with a bachelor’s degree. He is known to speak fluent English and Japanese.
Wang Yi to Become Foreign Minister
In September 2004, Wang was appointed as China’s Ambassador to Japan. He served in this post until September 2007. In June 2008, Wang succeeded Chen Yunlin as the director of Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China.
On 16 March 2013, during the first session of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC), Wang was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, succeeding Yang Jiechi.
In July 2016, Wang became an internet celebrity on the Chinese micro-blog Sina Weibo. A fan club on Weibo devoted to Wang has more than 130,000 followers. In March 2018, Wang was promoted as a State Councilor by the NPC.
In October 2022, following the 1st Plenary Session of the 20th CCP National Congress, Wang became a member of the Politburo 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 by Qin Gang on 30 December 2022. On 1 January 2023, Wang was appointed as the director of the Office of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Commission, making him China’s top diplomat under CCP general secretary Xi Jinping.
In March 2023, he was succeeded by Qin Gang as State Councilor after the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
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. Wang’s reappointment as foreign minister made him the first person to hold the post twice.