Deputy foreign minister Zhang Zhijun tipped to be next Taiwan affairs chief
Zhang Zhijun tipped for top cross-strait role when incumbent is appointed foreign minister
A reshuffle is looming in the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office with the likely appointment of Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun as its new head.
He would replace Wang Yi, who is expected to be transferred to head the Foreign Ministry at this week's National People's Congress.
Zhang, who is also the Foreign Ministry's party secretary, is said to be Beijing's choice because it wanted to continue appointing senior diplomats to head Taiwan affairs, which often involves complex international relations.
Taiwan's United Evening News said Zhang was "reluctant" to take the job because his ambitions were not in Taiwan affairs.
Beijing traditionally appoints diplomats with experience in American affairs to head the Foreign Ministry. The current minister, Yang Jiechi , was US ambassador from 2001-2005.
Zhang was earlier tipped to become the next foreign minister or the head of the Communist Party's international department, and stands a chance to become a State Councillor in future. Before taking up his current post in 2009, he spent many years in the international department dealing mainly with US affairs.