All the information in this article comes from reliable sources, which are detailed at the end of the article.

Image courtesy of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 15, Hua Chunying, the fifth female spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has stepped down as spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Hua Chunying will no longer serve as Director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . Instead, the 33rd spokesperson Mao Ning will serve as Director. Prior to this, our "diplomatic team" had a new member, welcoming the first "post-80s" spokesperson.

Guo Jiakun

This "post-80s" spokesperson is Guo Jiakun , who made his first appearance at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' regular press conference on January 6. On the same day, Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li also arrived in France to serve as Ambassador to France and concurrently Ambassador to the Principality of Monaco.

You must know that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs represents the country's diplomatic image , and personnel adjustments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be directly related to the development of China's foreign relations.

Cover News January 7 report on "Deputy Foreign Minister Deng Li transferred to ambassador to France"

So, what are the considerations behind this personnel reshuffle in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

How will my country's foreign relations develop in the future?

The first spokesperson born in the 1980s

Image source: CCTV News

At the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 6, Guo Jiakun made his debut as the 35th spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs .

Lin Jian, who was also the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the same day, solemnly introduced Guo Jiakun to the Chinese and foreign media reporters present, and hoped that everyone would support the work of Deputy Director Guo Jiakun.

Lin Jian

Before Guo Jiakun took over as spokesperson, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had three spokespersons, namely Hua Chunying, Mao Ning and Lin Jian . It is worth mentioning that all three spokespersons were born in the 1970s.

However, since Hua Chunying was appointed as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in May 2024 , she has gradually retreated behind the scenes. Although she still serves as a spokesperson, she rarely hosts regular press conferences.

Hua Chunying

Only at critical moments would Hua Chunying, who has been promoted to Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, come out to "calm the situation."

This also led to the fact that for a long period of time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' regular press conferences were hosted alternately by Mao Ning and Lin Jian .

Guo Jiakun

Against this background, Guo Jiakun, born in 1980 , became the 35th spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his first regular press conference, he answered eight questions in succession from Chinese and foreign reporters.

Although the questions raised by reporters covered a wide range of issues, including trade protection, cyber security, and the Korean Peninsula issue, Guo Jiakun, as a "newcomer", not only answered the questions but also forcefully explained China's position.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

From Guo Jiakun’s performance, it can be seen that he will definitely become another dazzling new star in the “diplomatic team”.

So, what kind of qualities are required to join the “diplomatic team”?

The picture comes from the Internet

The Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is one of the important windows for China's foreign exchanges. In their communications with Chinese and foreign media, the spokespersons frequently come up with "golden sentences" while being flexible and neither humble nor arrogant, and are called the "diplomatic team" by netizens.

Regarding what qualities a Foreign Ministry spokesperson should possess , Zhao Qizheng, former director of the State Council Information Office, once gave a relatively systematic and clear answer.

Zhao Qizheng

Zhao Qizheng believes that if one wants to be a good spokesperson, one should first be politically mature, have a clear stance, and be willing to take responsibility. One should also understand the national conditions and the world at large, and know how to treat journalists well.

Guo Jiakun , the new spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , possesses precisely these qualities. It needs to be emphasized here that Guo Jiakun is not a "newcomer" to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has been working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for nearly 23 years .

Guo Jiakun

Before serving as the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun served successively as the Third Secretary of the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations , Deputy Director of the Fourth Division of the African Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Director of the Policy Planning Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It can be said that in terms of professional ability, Guo Jiakun is absolutely first-class, and his calm and composed performance in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' regular press conferences is enough to prove that he is fully capable of serving as a spokesperson.

On the day when Guo Jiakun made his first appearance at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' regular press conference, Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li and his wife Zhang Hua had already arrived in Paris, France, and became China's new ambassador to France and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Principality of Morocco .

You must know that personnel adjustments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are not carried out casually. There are many strategic considerations behind them . Every adjustment in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs means changes in China's foreign relations.

Lu Shaye

In particular, the position of Chinese ambassador abroad is mainly responsible for cooperation between the two countries and is also responsible for resolving analytical conflicts between the two sides. It is crucial to the development of relations between the two countries.

Take former ambassador to France Lu Shaye for example. During his five-year term, he made great contributions to the development of China-France relations and won unanimous recognition from all sectors of society.

Lu Shaye

On December 9 last year, Lu Shaye held a farewell reception at the Chinese Embassy in France, and was later transferred back to China.

Deng Li, who succeeded Lu Shaye, is also an outstanding diplomat. After ending his term as ambassador to Turkey in 2020, he was transferred back to China and was promoted to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2021 .

Image courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in France

After Deng Li and his wife arrived in Paris, officials from the Protocol Department of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and major diplomats from the Chinese Embassy in France rushed to the airport to greet them, which also showed the importance the French side attached to Ambassador Deng Li.

Mao Ning

In addition, with Hua Chunying stepping down as spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mao Ning taking over from Hua Chunying as Director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , it marks that China's diplomacy will usher in new changes.

Guo Jiakun

In particular, Guo Jiakun, as the first spokesperson born in the 1980s, represents the rejuvenation and modernization of China's diplomatic team and shows the new image of Chinese diplomacy to the world.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

It is not difficult to see from these personnel changes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demonstrated great flexibility in the face of the changing international situation.

Most importantly, with the help of measures such as rotation and overseas assignments, diplomats can continue to learn and improve, thereby achieving the training and reserve of diplomatic talents.

After all, in the current complex and ever-changing international environment, only with sufficient talent reserves and flexible employment mechanisms can we take the initiative and effectively safeguard national interests.

Great Power Diplomacy

Main sources:

1. The original article was published in Cover News on January 7, 2025, regarding the report "Deputy Foreign Minister Deng Li transferred to the position of Ambassador to France"

2. The original article was published in Xinmin Weekly on January 10, 2025, about "China's 'Diplomatic Team' Adds a New Member, the First Born in the 80s! Where Are the Past Members Now?"

3. Originally published in the Global Times report on January 15, 2025 on "Hua Chunying resigns as spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs"

4. Originally published in Zhi News on January 16, 2025, about "Guo Jiakun is appointed as the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, why is he? | Beijing Observer"