Former Chinese envoy to India promoted after helping to get ties back on track ahead of Xi Jinping’s meeting with Narendra Modi
- Luo Zhaohui named deputy foreign minister, while President Xi Jinping is set to visit India later this year for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Analysts say ‘Beijing needs New Delhi more than ever’ amid increasing rivalry with Washington
China’s former top envoy to India Luo Zhaohui has been promoted to deputy foreign minister, as Beijing tries to forge better ties with New Delhi amid its escalating rivalry with Washington.
Although details of Xi’s Indian trip, his first in five years, are still under discussion – including where the summit would be held – Chinese analysts said the visit, and Luo’s promotion, underlined the importance of New Delhi in Beijing’s ambitious foreign policy agenda.
They believed the appointment was largely a reward for Luo, who helped bring bilateral ties back on track following one of the worst border disputes in decades between the two Asian giants in the Himalayas two years ago.
Luo, who hosted an official farewell reception in New Delhi on Monday, will be in charge of Beijing’s relations with its Asian neighbours, replacing Kong Xuanyou, who on Tuesday was named China’s new ambassador to Japan.