Xi appoints China’s US envoy Qin Gang as foreign minister in sign of softer touch

CHINA appointed its ambassador to the US, Qin Gang, as the new foreign minister, as the Asian nation shows signs of moving back to a lower-key diplomatic strategy after a growing backlash against its confrontational style.

The move was announced on Friday (Dec 30) evening by China National Radio, which said the decision was made at a meeting of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.

Qin replaces Wang Yi, who is likely to take the Communist Party’s top foreign policy position. Qin, who was sent to the US in July 2021, has walked a fine line between defending Beijing’s interests and displaying a softer side to Chinese diplomacy.

During his year in Washington, the 56-year-old envoy has thrown out the first pitch at St Louis Cardinals game, taken a ride in a Tesla with Elon Musk, and most recently shot free throws at a Washington Wizards basketball game. The one-time Foreign Ministry spokesman has delivered some of China’s most moderate messages on hot topics: He has said Beijing would’ve tried to stop Russia from invading Ukraine if it had known and played down the risk of a war with Taiwan.

Qin’s appointment coincides with a push by Xi to mend frayed ties with the US and its allies. He held his first in-person summit with President Joe Biden during the G20 in Bali, Indonesia, and also met with leaders of top US partners including Japan and Australia.

Beijing’s more assertive foreign policy has contributed to a collapse in public support across the developed world during Xi’s decade in power, with the share of people in the US with unfavourable views of China rising to 82 per cent in 2021.

Wang, 69, was named to the party’s 24-member Politburo after the recent twice-a-decade congress wrapped up, even though he was older than the retirement age of 68. Wang is likely to helm foreign policy for the party after Yang Jiechi retired from the Politburo. BLOOMBERG