China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been elevated to the post of State Councilor, signaling a revamp of China’s foreign policy establishment, which is likely to influence New Delhi-Beijing ties.
Mr. Wang will continue to retain the post of Foreign Minister. The State Councilor, attached to the State Council, China’s cabinet, is of a higher rank than Foreign Minister. Mr. Wang’s new assignment was cleared by lawmakers who had assembled for an annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s parliament.
Prior to Mr. Wang, Yang Jiechi held the post of State Councilor on foreign affairs. He was also the senior most official in the Leading Group on Foreign Affairs — a powerful body within the Communist Party of China (CPC) that has been headed by President Xi Jinping.
Apart from the Leading Group, the International Department of the CPC has been another nodal institution that has been shaping China’s foreign policy.
India-China border talks
In his capacity as State Councilor, Mr. Wang is likely to serve as China’s Special Representative on boundary talks with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. However, the Chinese foreign ministry responded cautiously when asked on Monday, whether Mr. Wang’s role as Special Representative has been affirmed.
“As I have said, China attached great importance to this (SR) mechanism and as (to) who will be the Special Representative; we will wait and see, “Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
During a press conference on March 8, Mr. Wang had lauded Indian and Chinese leaders for demonstrating a “strategic vision” which had helped defuse last year’s Doklam crisis, and acknowledged that ties between the two countries were poised for a rapid transition. He also
said that, “The Chinese dragon and the Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other. If China and India are united, one plus one will not only include two, but also 11.”
Analysts said that Mr. Wang’s elevation is part of an overhaul, which would allow China to play a more influential overseas role in tune with President Xi Ping’s vision for China, which is embarking on a “new era”.
“China’s foreign policy establishment is going through tremendous change and expansion, which correlates with the rapid expansion of China’s economic interests and influence in the world,” says Victor Gao, Vice President, Center for China and globalisation, in a conversation with The Hindu.
The South China Morning Post had earlier reported that the powerful international department of the CPC and the Party’s Leading Group on Foreign Affairs, were expected to merge.
It is likely that the new body will be headed by Mr. Yang, who has been a politburo member, under the overall supervision of Wang Qishan, the newly appointed Vice President, widely acknowledged as President Xi’s right-hand man.
Yet, Mr. Yang’s name did not feature in the list of four Vice Prime Ministers whose names were endorsed by the NPC on Monday. In response to a question, the foreign ministry spokesperson said: “We all know that Yang Jiechi is the member of Politburo and he will continue to play role in China’s diplomacy.”
Observers point out that President Xi is personally leading the projection China’s overseas influence, which includes his signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). “President Xi Jinping himself, who over the past five years has visited 57 countries on state visits and has met with more than 110 heads of state and government during their visits to China. In a sense the ‘head of state diplomacy’ has become a
key feature of China’s diplomacy over the past five years and will continue to be the most important feature of Chinese diplomacy in the coming years,” observed Mr. Victor Gao.
