Published : 2024-05-27
Hua Chunying, the Chinese diplomat with the most fans, has been promoted for the second time within three years to the position of Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A sharp diplomat with humour and elegance
Born in 1970, Hua Chunying graduated from Nanjing University with a major in English and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992. After serving as the deputy director of the Information Department and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2012, she became well-known for her elegant demeanour and sharp yet humorous remarks.
Hua has many famous "diplomatic lines". In August 2019, Nancy Pelosi, the then speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, described the protests in Hong Kong as "a beautiful sight to behold", and Hua responded, "we hope there will be more such 'beautiful sight' in the United States."
Read more: Hua Chunying, the most "fan-filled" Chinese diplomat
The third female Vice Foreign Minister in the history of China
In the previous year, a foreign media reporter mentioned that the iPhone of then-U.S. President Trump was being monitored by China and Russia, Hua Chunying immediately responded, "it seems that some people in the U.S. really want to compete for the 'Oscar for Best Screenplay'" and also said, "if you're worried about iPhones being eavesdropped, you can switch to Huawei phones."
In October 2021, Hua Chunying was promoted to Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and on May 27, 2024, it was announced that she had been appointed as Vice Minister.
Records show that Hua Chunying is the third female Vice Minister in the history of China. The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Wang Yi, and there are five Vice Minister, with Hua being the youngest and the only one of the post-1980s generation.
