Foreign deputy Cui Tiankai tipped as envoy to Washington
Vice-Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai is tipped to become ambassador to Washington in a ministerial reshuffle accompanying wider leadership changes, with Zhang Yesui returning to Beijing.
Vice-Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai is tipped to become ambassador to Washington in a ministerial reshuffle accompanying wider leadership changes, with Zhang Yesui returning to Beijing.
Cui, 60, was previously head of the Asian affairs department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and ambassador to Japan between 2007 and 2009.
He was appointed to his present role in 2009 and has been mainly responsible for US affairs.
Cui was involved in negotiations on a wide range of Sino-US issues, including the handling of blind activist Chen Guangcheng , who escaped from house arrest in Shandong when top US diplomats were in Beijing for a high-level economic and strategic dialogue last year and obtained refuge in the American embassy. These experiences boost his credentials as a top candidate for the Washington post.
The Sino-US relationship is the world's most important and vibrant bilateral link. I believe Sino-US ties will move in a positive direction
Cui once said China and the US had a "trust deficit", accused Washington of stirring up worries in the Asia-Pacific region, and called on Washington to respect Beijing's core interests.